Why test for bowel cancer?
Bowel cancer is Australia’s second biggest cancer killer. It kills more people in NSW than prostate cancer, breast cancer or melanoma. Despite this, currently only around 40% of eligible people in NSW take part in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.
The Program is an Australian Government initiative that sends out free bowel cancer screening tests to eligible Australians aged 50–to74 every two years. Bowel cancer screening can detect cancers at an earlier stage when treatment can be more successful.
If detected early, bowel cancer can be successfully treated in more than 90% of cases.
Bowel cancer facts
How common is bowel cancer?
In NSW, one in 14 people will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime. It is most common in people aged 50 years and over.
How widespread is bowel cancer?
Bowel cancer rates are increasing with 5,900 cases predicted in NSW in 2023.
How serious is bowel cancer?
Around 34 people die each week from bowel cancer in NSW.
What is the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program?
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program is an Australian government initiative that sends out free bowel cancer screening tests to all eligible Australians aged 50–74. The test will be posted to you every two years around the time of your birthday.
What's inside the Test Kit?
- Instructions
- 2 x toilet liners
- 2 x collection tubes
- 1 x ziplock bag
- 1 x Reply Paid envelope
To see how to do the test, watch this video.
How do i do the test?
The bowel cancer screening test is easy-to-do and can be completed in the comfort of your own home.
- Collect samples of your bowel motions (poo): The test comes with an instruction sheet that explains how to do this. Samples should be collected from different bowel motions (poos), as close together as possible, so either on the same day or within three days of taking the first sample.
- Send the samples for testing: Once you have collected your samples, put them in the reply paid envelope provided together with your Participant Details Form, and send the envelope in the post.
- Get the results: The samples are processed and the results are sent to you, and your nominated doctor or health service within two weeks.
See how to do the test.
Test Kit Helpline 1800 930 998
How does the test work?
The bowel cancer screening test is a clean and simple test that you do at home, which looks for very small amounts of blood in the bowel motion (faeces or poo) that may be a sign of bowel cancer or other bowel problems. It is known as an immunochemical faecal occult blood test or iFOBT.
Bowel cancer can develop without any symptoms. The test can detect microscopic amounts of blood in the bowel motion, which can be a sign of bowel cancer. The test can’t show what is causing the blood to be there.
Blood in your bowel motion may be due to cancer or other conditions, such as polyps, haemorrhoids or inflammation of the bowel.
If your result is positive you will be asked to contact your doctor, who may recommend further tests to find out the cause of the bleeding.
How bowel cancer starts
The large intestine (or large bowel) is made up of the colon, rectum and anus. The term "bowel cancer" refers to cancers which start in the colon or rectum.
Bowel cancer occurs when cells in the bowel lining become abnormal. These cells divide and grow. They usually form a polyp first, which may become a cancer over time.
Age matters.
Anyone can get bowel cancer, but the biggest risk factor is increasing age. In NSW, 93% of bowel cancers are found in people aged 50 years and over. This is why men and women aged 50 – 74 should get checked for bowel cancer every two years.
The risk of bowel cancer is higher if you:
- are aged 50 years and over
- have an inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis
- have previously had special types of polyps, called adenomas, in the bowel
- have a strong family history of bowel cancer or polyps.
Bowel cancer personal stories.
Melahat's story about the test.
Louise's story of early detection.
Mick’s story about why he does the test.
Jane’s experience of doing the test.
Resources
Find a variety of resources for bowel cancer and a bowel cancer screening below:
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Bowel Cancer Resources | Learn how to do the test Watch a video from the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program Learn more about the test experience Hear people’s experiences of taking part in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program |
| Screening | Discover more about the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program |
| Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People | |
| Resources for Aboriginal Health Workers | Find more information and resources on cancer screening and prevention for mob |
| Resources for Health Professionals | Learn about the benefits of screening, the current participation rate in NSW and best practice tips |