In NSW, someone is diagnosed with cancer every 11 minutes, but unlike many other cancers, if picked up early, bowel cancer can be successfully treated in more than 90 per cent of people.
Despite its life-saving impact, only 40 per cent of eligible men and women in Australia are doing the free at home bowel screening test – a statistic the Cancer Institute NSW is working hard to shift.
NSW Bowel Screening Program Manager, Christopher Horn, says anyone is at risk of bowel cancer, not just those with a family history of the disease.
“People with bowel cancer are often symptom free and by the time symptoms present, the cancer has grown and has possibly spread, making it harder to treat,” Mr Horn said.
“The test is fantastic as it can find the signs of cancer early when chances of survival are high. It can even help detect pre-cancerous polyps that can be removed before they become cancer.
“Don’t look back with regret and wish you had taken the time to do the test. If you’re aged 50-74 and haven’t done a test within the last two years, do one today, it could save your life.”
Screening kits now available from your GP
With information and instructions available in seven languages, the test is simple and easy to do, in the privacy of your own home.
Mailed to eligible Australians every two years, free kits can now be issued to patients by their GP as part of a new scheme aimed at encouraging more people to do the test.
“Following a successful pilot in the Aboriginal community, instead of waiting for a kit to arrive in the mail, GPs are now able to hand out kits to patients who are due to screen, and talk them through how to do the test,” Mr Horn said.
“We hope by having kits locally available, more people will prioritise their health and have a conversation with their GP about bowel cancer. If you’re worried about the test, talk to your GP, they are there to help.”
Support is at hand
For those who receive a positive test result, a colonoscopy is needed to determine the cause of the positive result and confirm a potential bowel cancer diagnosis.
Helping people navigate their way through this journey, are a unique team of professionals from the Cancer Institute NSW’s Participant Follow Up Function (PFUF) team.
PFUF Officer, Amanda Galati, says the team work to connect people to the health system and hopefully ease the fear that comes with a positive test result.
“Our job involves calling people with a positive result, explaining what it means and making sure they discuss it with their GP and typically go on to have a colonoscopy, which is the best way to confirm if an abnormality is cancer or something else,” Ms Galati said.
“For some people, barriers like language, health literacy and a general fear of the unknown can delay people from accessing health care. Making sure people feel comfortable accessing care is so important and that can often mean working closely with health care interpreters, GPs and specialists.
“It’s rewarding when we discover our follow up has directly impacted someone’s choice to follow up their result. Every day is different, and I feel privileged to be able to talk to so many men and women and help them in some small way.”
If you haven’t received your bowel cancer screening test in the mail, or the one you have at home has expired, you can order a replacement kit by:
- calling the National Cancer Screening Register on 1800 627 701, or
- completing the National Cancer Screening Register Online Enquiry Form.
More information on bowel cancer, its symptoms and the at-home screening test is available here: cancer.nsw.gov.au/dothetest
Source: Cancer Council NSW
