How to prevent Australia’s second biggest cancer killer

Bowel cancer is our country’s second most common cancer, and for older Aussies it’s of particular concern because our risk increases with age.

Every year around 17,000 Australians are diagnosed with bowel cancer and around 93 per cent of those people are aged over 50, which means regular bowel cancer screening is more important as you age.

Like most cancers, early detection is key. If detected early, up to 90 per cent of bowel cancers can be successfully treated, but symptoms can often be difficult to detect. This is why it’s important to know the risks, be aware of the symptoms and complete a bowel cancer screening test.

Causes of bowel cancer

Bowel cancer is also known as colorectal cancer, a broad-ranging term that also covers cancer of the colon or rectum.

Bowel cancer often begins as a benign growth called a polyp on the wall or lining of the bowel, but that polyp can become cancerous if left untreated, and the cancer may eventually spread to other parts of the body.

Family history and age both play a role when it comes to bowel cancer, but a poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle are also risk factors.

Symptoms of bowel cancer

Symptoms often do not present themselves until the cancer is at a later stage, making early detection through bowel cancer screening vital. Key symptoms to look out for are a change in bowel habits (such as diarrhea or constipation), blood in the stool or on the toilet paper, a change in the appearance of bowel movements, unexplained weight loss, or weakness or fatigue.

Because changes like these can be difficult to detect, bowel cancer screening is a vital component in the fight against the disease.

The government mails a free bowel cancer screening kit to eligible Aussies aged between 50 and 74. Called a faecal occult blood test, it allows you to collect a stool sample in the privacy of your own home, then send it to a laboratory in a pre-paid envelope for testing.

The lab will test your sample for minute traces of blood and determine whether you’ve had a positive or negative result. Your results will be sent to you and to your GP (if you nominate them on your participant form). If you receive a positive result, it’s important to follow up with your GP, ideally within two weeks.

The kits are literally a lifesaver for many people who would not have otherwise known they have bowel cancer. By the year 2020, the government will be mailing it everyone in Australia aged between 50 and 74 will be receiving a kit on a biennial basis. 

How can I get a kit?

Your kit should arrive in the mail if you are eligible. However, if you are yet to receive yours or are worried about your risk of bowel cancer, you can contact the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program hotline on 1800 11 88 68 and request a kit. You can also find out when you will receive your next bowel cancer screening kit in the mail by visiting the program’s website.

Data shows those who use the kit have their risk of dying from bowel cancer cut by 15 per cent, because their cancers are likely to be less-advanced when diagnosed than people who have not completed the test.

With results like these, it’s no wonder the government and medical experts are urging people to participate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.

Have you received the bowel cancer screening kit in the mail? Did you send your sample back?