In 2000, the Canadian Centre on Minority Affairs (CCMA) conducted a study on health concerns of Black and Caribbean people in Canada. The need to address health promotion in this community was identified as an important issue.

Several key reasons were recognized as having an effect on health-seeking activities. The study results indicate that when Black and Caribbean people are sick they often wait before seeking medical assistance. One of the factors known to contribute to this practice is the belief that good spiritual health will bring good physical health. Even when there is no religious connection, the trend was to wait before getting help.

In Canada, cancer registries do not collect information based on ethnicity. However, according to the previously mentioned study, incidence of breast cancer is high among the Black and Caribbean community. One woman reports, although screening for breast cancer is "well received," many "Black women don't go for testing because they don't want to be physically touched," leading to gaps in health care.

Prostate cancer was also identified as having a great impact on the Black and Caribbean community. The group recommended that there is a need for men in this community to receive health information and be encouraged to participate in screening tests for prostate cancer. The American Cancer Society, Inc., Surveillance Research (2005) estimates prostate and colorectal cancer will make up 41.8 per cent and 10.2 per cent of new cancer cases respectively among African American men this year. Breast cancer will make up 29.9 per cent and colorectal cancer will make up 13.3 per cent of new cases for African American women in the year 2005.

The numbers reflect the need for participation in appropriate cancer screening. Screening tests are used to detect some cancers when they are still very curable and may prevent some cancers from occurring. Screening can also improve the odds for cure, decrease the amount of treatment required, extend life and improve quality of life. Follow the cancer screening guidelines from the Canadian Cancer Society. Women and men should discuss their need for screening with their health-care provider.

Screening tests
All women	Ontario breast cancer screening program guidelines Annual physical breast exam by a trained health-care provider.
Women aged 40 - 49 and over age 70	Annual physical breast exam by a trained health-care provider. Discuss having a mammogram.
Women aged 50 - 74	Annual physical breast exam by a trained health care provider. Mammogram every two years or as often as recommended by your health-care provider.
All women until at least age 70	Ontario cervical cancer screening program guidelines Regular, annual Pap test once you are sexually active. If you have a normal test three years in a row, you will need a Pap test every two years (ask your health-care provider how often you should be tested).
Men and women aged 50 and over at normal risk	Colorectal cancer screen recommendations Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) at least every two years. Positive test should be followed up with a colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy or double-contrast barium enema.
High risk individual (any age)	If you have a personal family history of colorectal cancer, benign colorectal polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, hereditary non-polyposis carcinoma or familial adenomatous polyposis, discuss earlier screening and surveillance plan with your health-care provider.
Men at age 40	Prostate cancer screening recommendations Discuss your prostate cancer risk with your health-care provider.
All men over the age of 50	Discuss annual prostate prostate exams with your health-care provider which includes: digital rectal examination and Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test.
Men at higher risk	If you have a family history or are of African ancestry, discuss the need for screening at an early age.

Speak to your health-care professional about screening tests.
Adapted and reprinted with the permission of the Health Services Department of the Regional Municipality of York.