National Bowel Cancer Screening Program in other languages.
As part of the 2012-13 Federal Budget, the Australian Government announced that the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program will be expanded to include Australians turning 60 years of age from 2013 and those turning 70 years of age from 2015.
When fully implemented, all Australians aged between 50 and 74 years will be offered free screening every two years, consistent with the recommendations of the National Health and Medical Research Council.
The expansion of the program means that more than 12,000 suspected or confirmed cancers will be detected each year and between 300 and 500 lives saved annually. This will significantly reduce the burden of bowel cancer on Australians and their families.
Bowel cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in Australia, and around 80 Australians die each week from the disease. Bowel cancer can be treated successfully if detected in its early stages, but currently fewer than 40 per cent of bowel cancers are detected early.
Information on the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program in other languages