When Bishop Brigante underwent his first chemotherapy session, he never expected it to end in joy.

Brigante, a 45-year-old artist living in the Toronto area, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer about three months ago, in October 2023.

The months that followed highlighted a gap in healthcare in Ontario for Brigante - where many young people are deprived of early colorectal cancer screening.

Brigante told CTV News Toronto in an interview last week, "The more I talked to people, the more I heard 'My doctor won't give me a colonoscopy because I'm not old enough, I have to be 50 years old'." "I realized this issue was much bigger than just me and I had to do something actionable."

While colorectal cancer rates have steadily decreased across all age groups over the past twenty years, Brigante's efforts come at a time when the disease has seen an unjustified increase among younger Canadians.

Brigante added, "I had no idea about any of this - and my peers, I'm talking about people in their thirties and forties - didn't know either," "There was this huge system malfunction."

So, on January 26, he started a petition seeking to lower the minimum age for a colonoscopy from 50 to 30 years.

After three days, after finishing his first chemotherapy session and checking the petition, Brigante received 5,000 names.

He said, "It's heartbreaking. It's heartwarming, the whole thing in all fields."

And after five days, 10,000 people signed.

When Brigante first reached out to the NDP health critic Frances Gelinas, she assumed he was one of the voters needing help accessing cancer care.

Gelinas told CTV News Toronto last week, "But to my surprise, he wanted to help others."

On Tuesday, Brigante, along with his partner Melanie McPhee and Gelinas, presented the petition at Queen's Park, which included about 25,000 signatures after only one month of circulation.

NDP health critic Gelinas told CTV News Toronto, "I've been around a long time and was often called the queen of petitions,"  "and I never dreamed we'd get 25,000 in less than a month."

As Brigante watched Gelinas submit his petition to politicians in Ontario, he went back to the moment of diagnosis.

He said, "I was terrified, holding my lady's hand tightly as I cried and processed all the information, thinking of the millions of people after me who will experience this, and I realized I needed to change that."

"It's not even an option for me - lowering the age criteria for colonoscopy is inevitable."

The government now has 24 days to respond in writing to Brigante's request.

Colorectal Cancer in Canada

The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that about one in every 16 men and one in every 18 women will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime, and this disease accounts for about 11 percent of total cancer deaths in the country.

Among all age groups in Canada, colorectal cancer is already declining, with rates dropping almost every year since the 1980s.

But the decline appears to be limited to older generations, likely due to increased screening after age 50.

Among younger adults, incidence rates are rising - not only in Canada, but in the United States and "many other high-income countries," according to the society. One study, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiol in 2020, reported a "concerning increase" in the disease among younger Canadians.

Elizabeth Holmes, Executive Director of the Canadian Cancer Society, told CTV News Toronto, "We hear reports of increased colorectal cancer incidence in adults under 50, and the reason remains unclear, but we are monitoring it closely."

Currently, those diagnosed with colorectal cancer have just under a 70% chance of survival - a prognosis that continues to improve with screening and treatment techniques.

Holmes said, "At this time, more research is needed to mitigate risks."

Getting Screened for Colorectal Cancer

Holmes pointed out that age remains the most significant risk factor for colorectal cancer.

While 50 remains the appropriate age to begin routine screening, Holmes confirmed that guidelines exist only for patients who are asymptomatic and have no history of the disease.

She said, “If you have symptoms, these are not the guidelines you should refer to,” "If you have blood in your stool, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or changes in bowel movements, you should ask your doctor for a screening."

Ultimately, Holmes feels patients should listen to their bodies. She said, "Trust yourself, you know what is right."

With continued investment in treatment and early detection, the Canadian Cancer Society expects the overall incidence of colorectal cancer to decline. According to Brigante, these investments should not be costly for the government either.

He said, "Treating a person with cancer costs a lot of money - tens of thousands of dollars, instead of just doing a colonoscopy for someone showing symptoms of colorectal cancer."

Brigante continued, "I don't know how it got to this level, but this is God's work now and He is taking the lead," "I'm just a vessel trying to save lives, and you know, making it profitable for the government at the same time."

On March 22, Brigante, a hip-hop artist and actor, will join the director of Narc, a 2002 neo-noir thriller film that was Brigante's very first acting role, to host the film’s 20th-anniversary screening at Revue Cinema.

Proceeds will be used to support Brigante and fund his medical treatment during his battle with cancer.