Up to 50 primary health care centres across the country will soon be able to provide their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients with direct access to a potentially life-saving bowel cancer screening kit.

Health centres are now invited to apply to be involved in a pilot of a new method of delivering the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP), by giving out the screening kits directly to Indigenous patients. 

The Australian Government Department of Health funded Menzies to prepare for, and implement the pilot. 

Presently, bowel screening kits are mailed directly to eligible Australians aged 50 to 74 identified from Medicare or Department of Veterans’ Affairs records.

“This new method of delivery will overcome many barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in the program through the usual pathway of sending kits to eligible individuals by mail,” said Professor Gail Garvey, lead cancer researcher at Menzies.

“Less than 20 per cent of eligible Indigenous Australians take part in the free national bowel screening program, compared to more than 40 per cent of non-Indigenous Australians.

“This means four out of five Indigenous Australians are missing out on a simple screening test that could save their lives.”

Professor Garvey encouraged health centres across the country to get involved in the pilot.

“It is an exciting opportunity to be part of developing a new approach and contributing to the long-term goal of reducing deaths from bowel cancer amongst Indigenous Australians.

“People are uncomfortable talking about providing poo samples, but if the topic is raised directly by a doctor or health worker, they are more likely to be convinced to do a test,” she said.

“Evidence shows a recommendation from a trusted health professional can be one of the strongest motivators to get someone to do a bowel screening test.”

Bowel cancer is one of few cancers that can be detected in its pre-cancerous stage and survival chances are good with early treatment. However, people with bowel cancer rarely show clear signs or symptoms until it has reached an advanced stage. By then, the chances of survival are much lower.  

Health centres participating in the pilot will have access to training, guidelines on how to offer the program and resources to promote screening to Indigenous clients.

To find out more about the pilot visit www.indigenousbowelscreen.com.au