The Government has urged eligible Australians to participate in bowel cancer screening as new data revealed that screening rates had dropped in 2020-2021.
Australia’s national bowel screening rate fell to 40.9% during this time, and while more than 6 million people were sent a test, only around 2.5 million returned their samples for screening – a drop of 179,000 compared to before the pandemic.
The data, collected by the Cancer Council’s Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer (CBRC), also revealed that natural disasters had significantly impacted screening rates, with the bushfires which devastated Australia in 2019-20 driving participation rates down by 27% in affected areas, while the widespread flooding led to a 23% fall.
Prior to that, almost one third of 50-74-year-olds surveyed after the 2019 bowel screening campaign (32%) reported that their GP had spoken with them about bowel cancer screening, with 61% of respondents initiating discussions about doing the test once it had arrived in the mail.
The Government recently announced spending $10.8 million on the Cancer Council Australia’s ‘Get2It’ screening campaign.
Preliminary results showed that around 37,000 reminders to screen were sent to people during the 2022 campaign, and an additional 89,500 people completed their screening test during the campaign period.
More than 93,000 extra bowel test kits were returned in 2019, resulting in 856 bowel cancers prevented over the next 50 years, saving 469 lives and more than $46 million in costs to the health system.
Cancer Council CEO, Professor Tanya Buchanan, urged people to put the test somewhere like the bathroom as a reminder, as their research showed most people intend to do the test, but in addition to the pandemic and natural disaster, ordinary life also got in the way.
“Bowel cancer is Australia’s second biggest cancer killer, yet 90% of cases could be successfully treated if detected early and increasing the screening rate to just 60% could save 84,000 Australian lives by 2040,” she said.
“Together, we need to encourage our family, friends and loved ones to prioritise their health and ‘Get2It’ by taking a simple test that could potentially save their life.”
Surveys by the Cancer Council indicated that while 25-28% of West Australians intended to get their kit, 9% would refuse to get tested, with 5% considered naïve to the risk or possible solutions, yet once people start screening, 80% will rescreen when they are next invited.
Australians aged between 50 and 74 years old will receive the free bowel cancer screening tests, but healthcare providers can also bulk order National Bowel Cancer Screening Program kits and issue them to eligible patients.
The efficacy of the screening program in Australian conditions was also the subject of research released this week (20 June 2023) by the Bowel Health Service Team from Flinders University, using new tests modified by the manufacturers for the program to include stabilising agents.
While their research found that temperatures of 30-35°C reduced the bowel cancer screening test accuracy after more than four days, posted tests were typically exposed to temperatures above 30°C for less than 24 hours.
Screening program data showed no association between test accuracy and maximum daily temperatures and lead researcher, Ms Geraldine Laven-Law, said that the data supported continuing bowel cancer screening in all seasons.
“Don’t let a summer’s day prevent you from completing your bowel cancer screening tests,” Ms Laven-Law said.
For more information on bowel cancer or the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program campaign, go to www.bowelcancer.org.au