‘Life-saving’ bowel program expanded

The federal government’s “life-saving” National Bowel Cancer Screening Program will be expanded under the 2012-13 Budget to provide additional screenings to people aged 60 and 70 years.

The program will receive a $49.7 million boost and be extended to screen Australians turning 60 from 2013 and 70 from 2015. This achieves regular five yearly screening for the at-risk population between 50 and 70 years of age.

The program will be further extended in 2017-18, when a phased implementation of biennial screening will commence, beginning with those aged 72 years.

Invitations to undergo screening every two years will then be progressively extended to all Australians between 50 and 74 years of age.

Currently, bowel cancer screening is provided free to people aged 50, 55 and 65 years.

The extension of the bowel screening program will reportedly save lives, and early detection of disease will significantly reduce the cost of treatment and the burden on patients and their families.

Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in Australia, with 80 people (the majority aged over 50 years) dying of bowel cancer each week.

When fully implemented, all Australians aged between 50 and 74 years will be offered screening every two years, consistent with recommendations from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Professor Ian Olver, chief executive of the Cancer Council, commended the federal government for allocating additional funding.

“It’s a great day for public health in Australia. Bowel cancer is Australia’s second biggest cancer killer, yet it can almost always be treated successfully if detected early,” Professor Olver said.

“Committing to a national plan for bowel cancer screening is the best thing the federal government could do to reduce the nation’s cancer burden in the short and longer term.”

He added the bowel cancer screening plan was another “milestone step” towards reducing the impact of cancer.

He also thanked Independent MPs Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and Andrew Wilkie, who had strongly supported the call for expanding the program in the 2012-13 Budget.

The government will also provide funding of $50,000 from an existing program to the Jodie Lee Foundation to continue its work to raise awareness of the benefits of bowel cancer screening.

Any Australians, including younger people, who have concerns about their risk of bowel cancer should discuss their health with their general practitioner.