Bowel Screening

The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) aims to help detect bowel cancer early and reduce the number of Australians who die each year from the disease. While bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men and women, it is one of the most treatable cancers if found early.

Eligible people are sent a bowel cancer screening kit by mail containing a Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT). A Faecal Occult Blood Test is a test which can detect small amount of blood in bowel motions. The test is done in the privacy of your own home and involves collecting small samples of your bowel motion. The samples are then sent to a laboratory for analysis.

If the FOBT is positive (ie. blood is found), further tests, usually a colonoscopy, will be needed to find out the cause of the bleeding.

For more information visit www.cancerscreening.gov.au/bowel

How to access this service

The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program invites eligible people aged between 50 &74 to screen for bowel cancer every two years.  Participants are sent a free, easy to use test kit to complete at home.

The Australian Government will send a screening invitation, free screening test kit and other program information through the post around the time of your eligible birthday.