Bowel cancer screening push

The Government is investing $10.8 million to encourage eligible Australians to complete their potentially lifesaving bowel cancer screening as new data reveals screening rates dropped in 2020-2021 and natural disasters impacted screening rates.

21 June 2023

 

AUSTRALIA'S national bowel screening rate dropped to 40.9 per cent during 2020-2021. While more than 6 million Australians were sent a test, only around 2.5 million returned their samples for screening. That’s around 179,000 fewer people returning their tests in 2020-2021. 

 

The Government is partnering with Cancer Council Australia to roll out a national bowel screening campaign to remind Australians to ‘Get2It’, as research shows most people intend to do the test, but life gets in the way.  

 

The campaign begins as preliminary data from Cancer Council Victoria’s Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer (CBRC) shows the impact recent major natural disasters had on participation rates in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.

 

The bushfires which devastated Australia in 2019-20 drove down participation rates by 27 per cent during that period in affected areas, while widespread flooding across the country led to a 23 per cent drop in participation rates. 

 

Get2It will run from now until November this year. Preliminary results show that around 37,000 reminders to screen were sent to people during the 2022 campaign, and an additional 89,500 people completed their screening test during the campaign period.

 

Minister for Health Butler said, “We know cancer screening saves lives – and not screening costs us lives. The Government is proud to invest $10.8 million in this campaign with the Cancer Council to encourage more Australians to do their bowel cancer screening.  

 

“I’ve done the bowel screening test myself, and I encourage every Australian who receives the free test in the mail to also Get2It.   

 

“Please put the test somewhere like the bathroom as a reminder. Doing the test as soon as you get it could save your life.”  

 

Bowel cancer is Australia’s second biggest cancer killer, yet 90 per cent of cases could be successfully treated if detected early.  

 

Increasing the screening rate to 60 per cent could save 84,000 Australian lives by 2040.  

 

Cancer Council CEO, Professor Tanya Buchanan said, “We are proud to be working with the Australian Government to roll-out Get2It for a second year in a row.  

 

“We know from bowel cancer screening test return findings that screening levels are still too low across Australia.

 

“Together, we need to encourage our family, friends and loved ones to prioritise their health and Get2It by taking a simple test that could potentially save their life."

 

It is important when the kit arrives in the mail Australians complete and return it promptly. Health care providers can also now bulk order National Bowel Cancer Screening Program kits and issue them to eligible patients.  

 

For more information on bowel cancer or the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program campaign, go to www.bowelcancer.org.au.