Bowel cancer screening saves lives !

” Bowel cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in Australia and 11 patients die each day from it . Bowel cancer can be treated successfully if detected in its early stages, but currently fewer than 40 per cent of bowel cancers are detected early.

Part of National Bowel Cancer Screening Program people that turn 50, 55 and 65 will receive an invitation through the mail to complete a simple test called a faecal occult blood test (FOBT) in the privacy of their own home and mail it to a pathology laboratory for analysis. There is no cost involved in completing the FOBT. These screening tests have been shown in clinical trials and to be simple to use and highly effective. Participants with a positive FOBT result will be advised to discuss the result with their doctor, who will generally refer them for a colonoscopy.

Latest results confirm that for those who had a colonoscopy after a positive test , 1 in 33 had cancer and 1 in 11 had a significant precancerous polyp.

For further information visit http://www.cancerscreening.gov.au/internet/screening/publishing.nsf/Content/bowel-about