Do the Test

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program is low.

Visit indigenous bowel screening.

If you have lost your test kit or would like a new test sent to you, you can order one online or call the National Cancer Screening Register: 1800 627 701.

Yes, bowel cancer screening test kits have an expiration date. This is marked clearly in red on the back of the test kit. It is important to complete the test before the kit's expiration. If your kit has expired, you can request a replacement from the National Cancer Screening Register by calling 1800 930 988 or ordering online.

To be eligible for a free test you must:

• be in the age range (45– to 74 years)
• have a Medicare Entitlement type of either:
  • Australian citizen
  • Permanent resident
• have a current Medicare card or be registered as a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) customer
• have a mailing address in Australia
• be in the right age group (enter your date of birth in the tool above to find out when you are due to receive your test).

If you meet these criteria you are automatically registered for the Program. Screening tests are sent to your address as recorded by Medicare or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs so it’s important to keep this information up-to-date.

How to update my address.

To receive a free bowel cancer screening test you must meet the eligibility criteria mentioned above. If you believe you should have received a test but haven’t, please contact the National Cancer Screening Register Contact Centre via the Online Contact Form or by calling 1800 930 988 to find out what the issue is.

The upper age limit of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program is based on the anticipated benefit of screening for bowel cancer in someone without symptoms weighed against of complications due to further tests (such as colonoscopy).

Serious complications from colonoscopy are uncommon. However, perforation of the bowel is a possible complication, and the risk of this is higher in older people. The risks of screening for people aged 75 to 85 years who have been screened seem to be higher than the benefits.

Screening may still be appropriate. If you’re aged 75 years or older, and are concerned about bowel cancer, you should talk to your doctor about the need for future screening.

There are a number of ways to reduce your risk of developing bowel cancer, including:

• do the test every two years between the ages of 45– to 74 when it arrives in the post
• quit smoking
• reduce alcohol consumption
• maintain a healthy body weight
• be active and sit less
• eat a healthy diet.

Anyone with concerns about their risk of developing bowel cancer should talk to their doctor.

Yes, bowel cancer is also referred to as colon cancer, rectal cancer, or colorectal cancer. These types of cancer occur in the colon or rectum.

Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in men and women in NSW. In NSW, one in 16 people will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime. It is most common in people aged 50 years and over.

Bowel cancer often develops without any early warning signs or symptoms. Tiny traces of blood leak can from growths inside the bowel wall and pass into the bowel motion before any symptoms are noticed. The screening test is used to detect the tiny traces of blood that are invisible to the naked eye – early detection can lead to better outcomes if you do have bowel cancer.

If you notice any symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that you have bowel cancer, but it is very important that you discuss them with a doctor without delay.

You should talk to your doctor about whether to complete the screening test if you:

• have had a bowel condition in the last 12 months which is currently under treatment
• have recently had a colonoscopy
• are scheduled for a colonoscopy in the next few weeks.

If you have a functioning bowel (that is, you have not had your bowel removed) you should continue with bowel screening. People with no functioning colon do not need to be screened. If you’re uncertain, speak to your doctor.

The bowel screening test, called an immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT) is effective in detecting the early warning signs of bowel cancer. The negative predictive value of the test is 99.9%, which means that less than 0.1% (less than 1 in 1000) of those people who get negative result will develop bowel cancer within the next two years.

The biggest risk factor for developing bowel cancer is being over the age of 50. One of the best things you can do to protect yourself from bowel cancer is to do the bowel cancer screening test every 2 years, from age 50– to 74. You can now start doing the test even earlier. If you're aged 45– to 49, you can request a test kit.

Aside from age, some other factors that increase your risk of bowel cancer include:

• a diet low in fibre
• high red meat consumption, especially processed meats
• being overweight or obese
• alcohol consumption
• smoking tobacco
• inherited genetic risk (such as Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) or Lynch Syndrome) or a family history of bowel cancer
• inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease.

Anyone with concerns about their risk of developing bowel cancer should talk to their doctor.

Bowel cancer is Australia’s second biggest cancer killer. In 2022 around 102 Australians died of bowel cancer every week. Bowel cancer survival rates depend on how far the cancer has spread when it is detected, this is called the ‘stage at diagnosis’. Each stage refers to the size, location and amount of spread of the cancer, with Stage 1 being the smallest and with the least amount of invasion into other tissues, and Stage 4 being having the greatest amount of growth and spread in the body.

The table below shows the approximate bowel cancer survival rate (or, likelihood of successful treatment) based on the stage at which a person is diagnosed. If detected at the earliest stage, bowel cancer can be successfully treated in approximately 99% of cases. At such an early stage, bowel cancer is unlikely to have any symptoms and can only be detected via regular screening. This is why it is so important to do the bowel cancer screening test every two years from age 45– to 74.

Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2019a) Cancer in Australia 2019, AIHW, Australian Government

Stage 1 – tumour is found only in the inner layers of the bowel wall
Stage 2 – tumour has spread deeper into the layers of the bowel wall
Stage 3 – tumour is in any layer of the bowel wall and has spread into nearby lymph nodes
Stage 4 – tumour has spread beyond the bowel to other parts of the body, such as the liver or lungs, or to distant lymph nodes.

Explore a variety of bowel screening resources and educational resources.