About 80 Australians die each week from bowel cancer. This cancer can be treated successfully if detected in its early stages, but currently fewer than 40 per cent of bowel cancers are detected early.

As part of its Strengthening Cancer Care initiative in the 2005-06 Budget, the Australian Government allocated $43.4 million over three years for a National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.

The Program was phased in over a number of years, commencing in mid 2006. Initially screening utilising Faecal Occult Blood Tests (FOBTs) were offered to Australians turning 55 or 65 years of age, and those who participated in the successful pilot program that ran from November 2002 to June 2004.

People participating in the program were invited to complete a simple test in the privacy of their own home and mail it in for analysis. These screening tests have been shown in overseas clinical trials and in the Australian pilot program to be simple but highly effective. Participants with a positive result may of been referred by their GP for further tests, usually a colonoscopy.

An evaluation of the national bowel cancer screening program will be completed prior to the 2008 Budget with the aim of extending bowel cancer screening, if successful on clinical grounds, to all Australians over 55 and Indigenous Australians over 45 years of age.

National Bowel Cancer Screening Program

 

11 November 2005
ABB138/05


Bowel cancer screening has been shown to be acceptable and effective in Australia, according to the final evaluation of the Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot Program.

As part of the Commonwealth Government's Strengthening Cancer Care initiative, $43.4 million has been invested to phase in a national bowel cancer screening program, from May 2006.

A total of 56,907 men and women from Mackay, Adelaide and Melbourne, representing urban and rural residents and diverse socioeconomic and ethnic groups, were invited to participate in the pilot.

The screening succeeded in detecting 176 precancerous growths and 67 suspected cancers.

Technologically advanced faecal occult blood tests (FOBT) were used in the pilot. These are simple tests that can be done at home and mailed to the laboratory for analysis. FOBT cannot diagnose bowel cancer, but it can indicate that a person needs further tests.

Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world. About one in 17 men and one in 26 women will develop bowel cancer before the age of 75.

About 80 Australians die each week from bowel cancer. This cancer can be treated successfully if detected in its early stages, but at present fewer than 40 per cent of bowel cancers are detected early. Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer related death, after lung cancer.

The pilot's final evaluation report is available at
Australia's Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot and Beyond Final Evaluation Report

Media contact: Claire Kimball, 0413 486 926