John Gibbs posted on February 28, 2011 21:32
Rotarians all over Sydney, the Central Coast, Southern NSW and the ACT have begun a massive annual public health campaign to encourage people to undergo a simple test for bowel cancer.
More than 46,000 Rotary Bowelscan kits have been delivered to participating pharmacies.
Participating pharmacy Program sales close on Saturday 2 April 2011. The final day for return of kits to pharmacies is Saturday 16 April 2011.
A Bowelscan kit is a test for Faecal Occult Blood. The kit which costs just $10 allows people to take the test in the privacy of their own home and return the kit to the pharmacy when completed. The above cost includes the test kit, pathology testing and notification of results by the medical coordinator of the program. Confidentiality is maintained at all times.
Rotarians have been running the program for more than 22 years. In that time over half a million Bowelscan kits have been sold.
Cancer of the large bowel is the most common internal cancer in Australia.
One in 12 Australians will develop bowel cancer by the age of 85, equal for men and women. Age is a very important factor. The risk begins at age 40, doubling every 5 years until age 60 and even more rapidly as the person gets older.
Australia has the world highest incidence of bowel cancer. This year in Australia over 11,000 people will be detected with bowel cancer and over 4,600 deaths will result from bowel cancer. Indeed double our National road toll.
The Rotary Bowelscan kits are easy to use, and ensure that all results are returned to the patient for just $10. It is a kit that everyone can afford.
“Bowelscan, a project of the Rotary Club of East Gosford, is just another in a long list of community service initiatives undertaken by Rotarians, who this week will celebrate their 106th anniversary,” Rotary District Governor George Papallo said.