Investment in bowel cancer screening
Cancer Council Australia has recently welcomed a budget commitment of $16.1 million over four years to support the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, and calls on all eligible Australians to take the screening test.
Cancer Council Australia has recently welcomed a budget commitment of $16.1 million over four years to support the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, and calls on all eligible Australians to take the screening test.
Cancer Council Australia chief executive, Professor Ian Olver, said the new funds would help ensure that the program kept pace with increasing pathology and postage costs, and enable better data collection and monitoring.
“Bowel cancer causes more Australian deaths than any other cancer except lung cancer, but it is usually easy to treat when detected early,” Professor Olver said.
“Despite the enormous human and economic burden bowel cancer imposes on our community, awareness of the disease and how to detect it is low.
“The funds announced today will enable the program to keep pace with costs as it moves towards expansion. The program will only realise its potential to save lives if it is accessed by more eligible participants.
“If you receive the testing kit in the mail, remember, it could save your life.”
Professor Olver said the program should target all Australians aged 50 years every two years, but is available as a one off test for people turning 50, 55 and 65, with 60 year olds added from 1 July this year and 70 year olds in 2015.
“We welcome these new Commonwealth funds, which will help to build the program’s capacity as we work towards adding new age groups,” he said.
