The Department of Health is to launch an awareness campaign promoting cancer screenings to support and improve outcomes for Australians with bowel cancer.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said the Department’s new National Bowel Cancer Screening Program awareness campaign aimed to increase the numbers of Australians who took up the free bowel cancer test, with a focus on men aged 50 to 59 years, people in regional and remote Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and individuals from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities.
“Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Australia and is more common in people over the age of 50,” Mr Hunt said.
“Each year, more than 15,000 cases are diagnosed and more than 5,000 lives are lost to bowel cancer,” he said.
“When detected early, however, the great majority (around 90 per cent) of bowel cancers can be successfully treated.”
Mr Hunt said bowel cancer was one of the types of cancer targeted by Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea, Cancer Council Australia’s flagship event, held last week (27 May).
The Minister said a Ministerial Roundtable was held with Cancer Australia last month in the first step towards developing a visionary 10-year Australian Cancer Plan.
“The Plan will set out the key national priorities and action areas over the next 10 years to improve outcomes for Australian’s affected by cancer,” he said.
“It will also cover prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and palliative care, while providing for the unique needs of specific cancer types and populations,” Mr Hunt said.
