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Australia has one of the highest incidences of bowel cancer in the world. Around 17,000 people are diagnosed each year. It is the second most common cause of cancer mortality (after lung cancer), yet, if detected early 9/10 cases of bowel cancer can be successfully treated.
Population screening is the ‘use of simple tests across a healthy population in order to identify individuals who have disease, but do not yet have symptoms’ (WHO 2015). Randomised controlled trials have clearly established that screening asymptomatic populations with immunochemical faecal occult blood testing (iFOBT) biennially reduces mortality due to bowel cancer.
Screening target group: Non-symptomatic men and women aged 50-74yrs considered average risk for bowel cancer.
Screening frequency: Every 2 years
National participation rates are around 41%. NSW participation rates however are lower than this and some parts of the CESPHN region have participation rates below 30%.
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