11:05 am - 11:35 am
DEBATE

Healthcare Systems: FIT vs Colonoscopy for CRC screening

 

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PRO - Linda Rabeneck, MD, MPH, FRCPC, FCAHS

Dr. Linda Rabeneck, a gastroenterologist, clinician scientist and health care executive, is currently Professor of Medicine and Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and Senior Scientist at IC/ES (formerly the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences) in Toronto. 

Dr. Rabeneck received her medical degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC). She completed post-graduate training in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UBC and the University of Toronto. She received her Master’s degree in Public Health from Yale University, where she trained as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar. 

Dr. Rabeneck previously served as Director of the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Toronto (2002-05), and Regional Vice President, Cancer Care Ontario, and Chief, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto (2005-10). From 2010 to 2022 she served as Vice President, Prevention & Cancer Control at Cancer Care Ontario, the provincial cancer agency. Under Dr. Rabeneck’s leadership, Ontario launched Canada’s first province-wide, organized colorectal cancer screening program (ColonCancerCheck), Canada’s first and only organized screening program for women at high risk of breast cancer (High Risk Ontario Breast Screening Program), and Canada’s first organized screening program for people at high risk for lung cancer (High Risk Lung Screening Program)

In her scholarly work, Dr. Rabeneck is best known for her contributions to cancer screening. She is the author of over 290 peer-reviewed publications and has made critical research findings that shaped our understanding of the quality and effectiveness of cancer screening. From 2013-20 Dr. Rabeneck served as Global Chair, World Endoscopy Organization (WEO) Colorectal Cancer Screening Committee, a global network to advance the science and practice of colorectal cancer screening. Dr. Rabeneck currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the International Cancer Screening Network (ICSN) and on the Advisory Board, Cancer Screening in 5 Continents (CanScreen 5), of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

CON - Dr. Lawrence Hookey

Dr. Lawrence Hookey came to Kingston after completing medical school training at Memorial University of Newfoundland.  After finishing both internal medicine and gastroenterology training at Queen’s, he embarked on a two year fellowship in clinical research in therapeutic endoscopy, travelling to Belgium and France.  He returned as faculty at Queen’s in 2005 and was promoted to associate professor since then.

Dr. Hookey’s practice includes general GI with a focus on therapeutic endoscopy and pancreatic and biliary disease. His research program includes investigating optimizing bowel preparation for colonoscopy, quality assurance in endoscopy, and education for colonoscopy. He was recently awarded a clinician scientists award to support this program.

Dr. Hookey is currently the Chair of the Division and the Medical Director of the Endoscopy Units at Kingston General and Hotel Dieu hospitals.