National Bowel Cancer Screening Program

The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program is implemented nationally to help detect bowel cancer early and reduce the number of Australians who die each year from the disease.

Since 2020, all eligible Australians who are aged between 50-74 are invited to participate in screening for bowel cancer every 2 years.

Under the Program, eligible people will receive a bowel cancer screening kit by mail containing a Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT), a simple test that can be completed in the privacy of your own home.

The test is quick and easy and involves taking a small sample from two bowel motions, which you then send to the laboratory for testing.

Participants then receive their results in the mail in approximately 2 weeks. If the test result is positive (i.e. blood is found in the bowel motion), participants are advised to contact their GP for follow up, such as colonoscopy.

If the result is negative (i.e. no blood is found in the bowel motion), it may mean that you do not need further investigations at this time. However, as no test is 100% accurate, it is important to watch out for any symptoms of bowel cancer (e.g. bleeding from the bowel, changes in your regular bowel habits, abdominal pain, and unexplained tiredness etc) and if noticed, see your doctor immediately.

Call (07) 3324 1500 to find out more about Colon/ Bowel Cancer screening.