Bowelscan focuses on over 40s

ALMOST every two hours one Australian dies from bowel cancer.

The Government currently provides free screening for bowel cancer when Australians reach 50, 60 and 65 years of age.

Professor George Kannourakis of Ballarat Oncology and Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute launched the Rotary Club of Ballarat South’s Bowelscan Program 2019 on Tuesday.

The campaign targets everyone over the age of 40 therefore it covers the gaps in the Government program. In excess of 30,000 Bowelscan kits are sold each year in Victoria.

Eighty per cent are returned for testing compared to the 40 per cent return for the Government program.

Past President of Rotary Club of Ballarat South, Gordon Williamson, has been the Bowelscan Coordinator for Ballarat and District for the past 13 years.

He said the desired level of public participation still has not been achieved.

“There are more women than men participating in the program but there are more positive results among men,” Mr Williamson said.

“Too many men have the attitude ‘it won’t happen to me’.”

Mr Williamson said the program targets the 40s plus members of the community as people of all ages are susceptible to bowel cancer.

Emma, a friend of Mr Williamson’s was featured on the SBS program Insight in April.

He has known Emma for some years and to see her appear on the SBS Insight program was quite a shock.

Emma, who was 38 when she was diagnosed, said with government funded screening tests unavailable to people under 50, young people can take health into their own hands and purchase a Rotary Bowelscan kit.

“If I’d been aware that young people were susceptible to bowel cancer, I would have been more proactive with following up my symptoms earlier and not dismissing them,” she said.

If detected early bowel cancer can be successfully treated in 90 per cent of cases.

Bowelscan kits are available at participating pharmacies or online rotarybowelscan.com.au.