Bowel Screening.
This home test kit could save your life.
Around 1 in 13 Australians will develop bowel cancer in their lifetime. Bowel cancer usually starts without any symptoms - that’s why this bowel cancer test kit could save your life. This test can detect cancer in its earlier stages so it can be treated quicker. It’s also simple, quick and easy – just open your kit and away you go.
Do you need to test for bowel cancer?
If you’re aged 50-74 you need to do regular bowel screening. Why? Because bowel cancer can develop without you noticing.
Some people have a bigger risk of bowel cancer than others. Your risk of bowel cancer is higher if you:
- are aged 50 or over. Risk also increases as you get older
- have had an inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- have previously had special types of polyps, called adenomas, in the bowel
- have a significant family history of bowel cancer or polyps
About the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program is an Australian Government screening program that aims to save lives by detecting the early signs of bowel cancer. You might have taken part in other cancer screening programs run by the Australian Government, like BreastScreen Australia or the National Cervical Screening Program.
Bowel screening checks if you have early signs of bowel cancer. Sometimes you might not have any obvious symptoms, which is why it’s important to do the test.
As a part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, all Australians aged 50 to 74 are mailed a free at-home bowel screening test every two years. This test is simple, quick and hygienic. Most importantly, it could save your life.