Wyndham residents have lodged the third-lowest rate of participation in the state for bowel cancer screening.
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) sends eligible people aged between 50 and 74 years a free screening test every two years.
The test, to be completed at home, is sent to all Australian citizens and migrants within the age group, if they have a Medicare card or are registered as a Department of Veterans Affairs’ customer.
In 2014-15, 648,001 Victorians were sent the at-home test but just 258,521 participated.
Within Wyndham, 34.7 per cent of people who were sent the test completed it.
Only two other areas in Victoria lodged a lower participation rate, with Casey recording the lowest rate of 32.5 per cent.
Cancer Council’s screening manager Kate Broun said the early detection of bowel cancer through the at-home screening test could save lives.
“The test is available for people without symptoms so you can find early signs of bowel cancer before you realise anything is wrong,” she said.
“Over 90 per cent of bowel cancers can be successfully treated if found early.”
Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world. About one in 23 Australians will develop bowel cancer. The NBCSP aims to reduce bowel cancer deaths through early detection of the disease.
See www.cancerscreening.gov.au/bowel for details.
