Aussie decade of dithering
February 6, 2012
2002-2012 will be known as a
“decade of dithering” for the bowel
cancer community, according to
Julien Wiggins, chief executive of
Bowel Cancer Australia.
The comments are part of Bowel
Cancers Australia’s push to have
the National Bowel Cancer
Screening Program expanded to
include testing every two years for
those aged 50 years and over.
At present the program is only
available as a one-off test to people
turning 50, 55 or 65 years of age
between January 2011 and
December 2014.
National medical guidelines
however recommend screening at
least once every two years for
those aged 50 years and over.
“We’ve endured pilots, reviews,
research and even months of
uncertainty regarding the
continuation of the screening
program,” said Wiggins.
“And the result after 10 years? A
piecemeal program, no supporting
awareness campaign and a 40 per
cent participation rate.
“We know Governments can do
better - they have done a great job
making available comprehensive
screening programs for breast and
cervical cancer,” he added.
Comparisons of bowel, breast and
cervical screening programs show
that in 2008 14,225 people were
diagnosed with bowel cancer, and
in 2007 4,047 people died from the
disease; whilst in 2008 13,680
people were diagnosed with breast
cancer and 778 with cervical
cancer, whilst in 2007 2,706 people
died from breast cancer and 208
died from cervical cancer.
Screening programs for bowel
cancer were extended to those
aged 50, 55 and 65 years and
included a one-off FOB test, whilst
breast cancer testing was extended
to people aged 40+ and included 2-
yearly mammogram, and cervical
cancer testing was extended to
those aged 18+ and included 2-
yearly pap smear tests.
According to Bowel Cancer
Australia participation rates for the
three saw 40% of the Bowel Cancer
target group get tested, 57% of
breast cancer target group tested
and 61% of the cervical cancer
target group tested, whilst national
awareness campaigns only
extended to breast and cervical
cancer.
“Bowel cancer is one of the few
preventable cancers, but is still the
second biggest cancer killer of
Australians claiming 78 lives every
week,” said Wiggins.
“Screening every one to two years
can reduce your risk of dying from
bowel cancer by up to 33 per cent.
This research alone makes the
status quo of the NBCSP
unacceptable,” he added.
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