Community
19 July, 2024
Order your free screening kit today
CANCER Council Victoria is calling on Victorians aged 45-49 to order a free bowel screening kit following a significant change to the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.
On July 1, the program’s age criteria changed to allow Victorians aged 45-49 to opt-in to receive a free bowel screening test kit in the mail.
They will then automatically receive a kit in the mail every two years after the completion of their first test.
Cancer Council Victoria’s head of prevention and adjunct associate professor Craig Sinclair said Cancer Council Victoria strongly supported the change, allowing more people to take part in the free screening program.
“Bowel cancer is Victoria’s second leading cause of cancer-related death among men and the third among women. But it can also be prevented through participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program,” he said.
“The test, also known as the faecal occult blood test, can detect signs of bowel cancer before symptoms occur.
“Bowel cancer can develop with no symptoms or family history. This is why doing regular screening from the age of 45 is so important, even if you feel well and live a healthy lifestyle.”
The latest Victorian Cancer Registry data shows 72 Victorian men and 73 Victorian women aged 45-49 were diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2022.
At 48, Victorian father Lupco Talevski felt fit and healthy and didn’t consider his risk of bowel cancer.
However, after being recommended a colonoscopy due to another issue, he was shocked to hear he had several large polyps in his bowel.
If left untreated, these could have developed into bowel cancer.
“It wasn’t like I had noticed anything unusual; I had no symptoms and wouldn’t have thought anything was wrong,” Mr Talevski said.
“Mine is a cautionary tale. I thought of myself as healthy. I don’t smoke, I eat healthily and don’t drink.
“I’ve been a swimmer all my life and love being active, so it really surprised me that I could be at risk.”
People aged 50-74 will continue to receive a kit in the mail every two years.
So, if you’re aged 45-74, don’t take the risk, take the free bowel cancer screening test every two years. It could save your life.
To learn more about bowel screening, head to cancervic.org.au/bowel.
To order a bowel screening test kit, visit ncsr.gov.au/boweltest or call the National Cancer Screening Register on 1800 627 701.
