Getting tested

If you, your partner, other family members or friends are over 40, you should participate in the Bowelscan program.

Easy to use test kits are available from Rotary stands in shopping centres or from your local pharmacy at designated times of the year. See the Program dates section of this site for information about when the program will be next running in your state. Check local media for locations during the project period for your State.

You can use the Bowelscan Kit in your own home. For 2 days prior and during the test, avoid red meat. Simply collect smears from 3 bowel motions over 3 days. Follow the instructions contained in the kit in the convenience of your own home. You will be required to fill in a registration card and return the completed test kit in the container to your local pharmacy.

These will be sent for analysis. You will be notified of the test result by mail, providing the registration card is completed correctly and signed. You will be notified of the test results by mail. Positive test results are also sent to your nominated doctor.

Completing all three test slides is very important. Lower intestinal bleeding may not occur all the time. Testing three bowel motions increases the chance of detecting any blood that may be present during the test period. More instructions are printed on the envelope containing the test slide.

A positive result means that there was evidence of occult blood in a stool sample but does not necessarily mean a person has colorectal cancer. Most often a positive result is due to other factors (such as haemorrhoids or a dietary interference with the test). However, it is most important that all positive test results be fully investigated by a doctor. Everyone who has a positive result should have further tests to find out whether they have bowel cancer. Most will not have the cancer, but a few will, and early diagnosis will greatly improve their chance of cure. Remember that there is a 90% chance of cure if the cancer is found at an early stage.

A negative result from the test means there was no evidence of occult blood in the stool sample(s) and does NOT confirm the absence of colorectal cancer, polyps or other gastrointestinal disorder. Therefore, persons should draw their doctor’s attention to any changes in bowel habit or other symptoms of colorectal cancer.

Faecal Occult (hidden) Blood Tests (FOBT’s) screen for minute amounts of blood in the stool. This test is for average risk persons who have not developed any symptoms of colorectal cancer. FOBT has been widely adopted by many overseas screening programs. It is the least expensive of the most common methods of colorectal screening, and is well accepted by participants. Two commercial FOBT kits have been approved by the National Bowelscan Committee and packaged as “Bowelscan Kits”.

It is important that people with a family history of bowel cancer should mention this fact to their medical practitioner as they may have an increased risk of the disease and could require additional screening tests.