Bowel Cancer Awareness Week 8-14 June
Australians are unnecessarily putting their lives at risk by waiting for symptoms before they test for bowel cancer, doctors say.
New research shows many Australians aged 50 and over are not testing for bowel cancer because they feel well and do not have any symptoms. Yet according to specialists, bowel cancer symptoms often don’t appear until cancer is advanced and very difficult to treat. The research also showed a third of the at risk age group haven’t even considered testing or speaking with a GP about bowel cancer.
To mark Bowel Cancer Awareness Week, which runs from 8 to 14 June, doctors are calling on all Australians over 50 to make testing for bowel cancer part of their routine health screening.
“Testing for bowel cancer is important as it can detect disease in its early stages – before symptoms appear – when it is still possible to make a full recovery,” said Dr Cameron Bell, Royal North Shore Hospital gastroenterologist.
“Just as testing for breast, prostate, skin and ovarian cancer is now the norm, testing for bowel cancer should also be routine for all Australians aged over 50 years,” he said.
Less than half of Australians aged over 50 say they have been tested for bowel cancer, despite it being the second most common cancer – affecting one in 12 Australians before they reach 85 years of age.
In May 2008, the Australian Government announced as part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program that they will mail free home testing kits to all Australians when they turn 50, 55 and 65 years of age. The tests can be done at home and posted back for confidential analysis.
