It’s time to act

for free bowel cancer screening

This Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) is encouraging those aged over 45 years to take five minutes to do a free screening test that could save their life.

26 June 2024

MORE people in NSW are now eligible to take part in bowel screening, with the Federal Government recently lowering the screening entry age from 50 to 45 years.

Scott Reid, Cancer Nurse Coordinator for Colorectal Cancer, CCLHD, said Australia has one of the highest incidences of bowel cancer in the world and it’s the second biggest cancer killer in NSW.

“Unfortunately, more than 5,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in NSW every year but the good news is that there is a free, easy test to detect bowel cancer. We hope the expanded screening program will encourage more people in our Central Coast community to do the test – it could save your life,” Scott Reid said.

NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of Cancer Institute NSW Professor Tracey O’Brien said, “If caught early, bowel cancer can be successfully treated in more than 90 per cent of cases and we know that people who do the test are almost twice as likely to have their cancer detected at the earliest stage, when it’s most treatable.”

While people can get bowel cancer at any age, the risk increases with age. Scott Reid says that symtoms include a change in bowel habits, bleeding, fatigue, anaemia or unexplained weight loss however bowel cancer can develop without any symptoms so regular screening plays an essential role in early detection.

From 1 July 2024, people aged 45–49 can request a free kit online or call 1800 627 701 or speak to their regular doctor about getting a free National Bowel Cancer Screening Program kit.

People aged 50–74 will continue to automatically receive a bowel screening kit in the mail every two years.

Find out more about bowel cancer screening in NSW here.