Australians to be tested for bowel cancer
A $43 Million Federal Government campaign will post a bowel cancer testing kit to every Australian who turns either 55 or 65 between May 2006 and June 2008. The kit gives detailed instructions on how two collect two separate faecal samples and a replied paid envelope to return them for testing.
A pilot program run between 2002 and 2004 had a 45.4% response rate from about 57,000 people invited to participate. It uncovered 176 advanced tumours and 67 suspected cancers of which 20 were confirmed.
About 90 people die of bowel cancer in Australia every week.
(The Age 8/8)
