A new bowel cancer screening program has the potential to save the lives of 90,000 Australians over the next four decades, new research shows.
Experts at Cancer Council Australia said the key is ensuring that 60 per cent of Australians use the free kits sent in the mail through the National Bowel Cancer Screening program.
Health Minister Sussan Ley said new fast tracking of the screening program means all Australians aged 50 to 74 would receive a free, at home bowel cancer screening kit every two years by 2020.
Uptake of the tests so far has been low with two-thirds of Australians who received the tests throwing them away.
But a new national public health campaign on bowel screening called “A gift for living” hopes to change that.
Cancer Council’s Paul Grogan said tens of thousands of Australians were walking around with a precancerous polyp or an early-stage cancer in their bowel with no indication that this threat to their life is slowly growing inside them.
“The best way for people who are eligible for the screening program to reduce their risk of late-stage bowel cancer is to complete the free screening test when it arrives in the post,” he said.
Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer, with 80 Australians dying each week.
More than 90 per cent of cases can be cured, if detected early.
Peer-reviewed research shows the home screening program would prevent 70,000 bowel cancer deaths over the next 40 years with a 40 per cent participation rate – with 90,000 lives saved if 60 per cent of eligible Australians participate.
Ms Ley said the public health campaign is designed to address a perceived stigma with bowel cancer screening.
“The kit is simple and discreet to use in the privacy of your own home,” she said.
“We need more people completing their testing kits as bowel cancer often has no symptoms and early detection saves lives.”
The $3 million campaign will run across print, radio and online.