Canada Post Service Disruption & Cancer Screening

Important Update: Canada Post Service Disruption and Cancer Screening

Canada Post announced a labour disruption starting November 15, 2024. This service disruption will affect the delivery of cancer screening correspondence letters and the

mailing and return of ColonCancerCheck (CCC) fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits.

Please see the Canada Post Service Disruption key messages here.

Cancer Screening Correspondence Letters:

  • Primary care providers remain responsible for sharing cancer screening test results with their patients.

  • Participants will not receive abnormal cervical screening test results letters during the service disruption; providers will continue to receive cervical screening test results from their laboratory and are responsible for communicating these results with their patients.

  • Participants with an abnormal breast screening result will be contacted by their OBSP site to arrange additional tests.

  • Ontario Health will courier abnormal FIT result letters for unattached participants who accessed their FIT kit through Health811.

ColonCancerCheck Fit Kit Ordering, Mailing and Return:

  • Primary care providers may continue to order FIT kits as normal; however, patients may experience delays in receiving their FIT kit in the mail.

  • Completed FITs should not be returned by mail during the service disruption; completed FIT kits should be dropped off at a specimen collection centre. A list of specimen collection centres can be found at locations.lifelabs.com.

  • Completed FITs will continue to be tested when received by the laboratory; however, a stool sample breaks down over time. 

    • If a sample is tested between 15 and 30 days after it was collected, the lab may be unable to determine a result; patients must repeat the test.

    • If a sample arrives at the lab more than 30 days after it was collected, the sample will not be tested; patients must repeat the test.

  • If a patient needs to repeat their FIT, please submit a requisition for a new FIT kit.

  • If an unattached participant needs to repeat their FIT, they can call Health811 at 811.

 For questions, please contact infoTCRCP@sunnybrook.ca

East Toronto Family Practice Network