Bowel cancer screening changes launch

GPs are being encouraged to remind their patients of significant changes to the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP), which have lowered the age of eligibility from 50 years old to 45.
 
As of Monday, people aged 45–49 can request their first bowel cancer screening kit, while those aged 50–74 will continue to receive a kit every two years.
 
Once those patients aged between 45 and 49 have requested a first kit, their next kit will automatically be mailed two years later.
 
Currently, more than 1700 Australians under the age of 50 are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year, with those aged 40–49 accounting for 56% of new cases and 64% of deaths in those diagnosed under 50 years old.
 
Bowel Cancer Australia has long campaigned for the change, which was also included in clinical practice guidelines endorsed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) last year.
 
RACGP Specific Interests Cancer and Palliative Care Chair Associate Professor Joel Rhee previously told newsGP he hopes the changes will help GPs detect bowel cancer sooner and at an earlier stage.
 
‘People who have a family history or other risk factors should speak to their usual GP for guidance on the best screening strategy,’ he said.
 
‘And of course, anyone who is symptomatic should not rely on a negative screening test result but see their GP for further assessment.’
 
The NBSCP’s changes were funded as part of the 2024–25 Federal Budget after the Commonwealth considered the cancer’s ‘implications for the broader health system, including the costs and flow-on effects’.
 
The changes come after recent research revealed just 40% of the six million people invited to screen in 2021 and 2022 participated in the NBCSP.
 
At the same time, of those who completed the screening and were assessed, 4% went on to be diagnosed with a confirmed or suspected cancer.
 
Healthcare providers can bulk order NBCSP kits and issue them directly to patients eligible for the program, as well as a mail-out model which allows the National Cancer Screening Register to mail kits directly to eligible people.
 
GPs are encouraged to explain why the test is important and demonstrate how to do it, with research showing that patients are more likely to complete the test after discussing it with a trusted healthcare provider.
 
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age eligibility bowel cancer cancer screening National Bowel Cancer Screening Program NHMRC