A COMMUNITY health awareness program aiming to reduce the incidence of bowel cancer is currently in full swing across Mount Gambier.
Residents are encouraged to access the Bowelscan program at city pharmacies during May through the initiative, which is supported by Australian Rotary Health.
Mount Gambier West Rotary Club Bowelscan coordinator Matthew Dixon said everyone over the age of 40 should take the test.
“It is relatively simple, it is very cheap, so why would not you do the test when you could potentially be at a high risk,” Mr Dixon said.
“They are suggesting people over the age of 40 should take the test every two years or if you have a diabolical family history of bowel cancer, you may also want to think about doing it.”
Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths after lung cancer, but if detected early there is a 90pc chance of survival.
“I know people in our community who are alive today because of this screening program that may well not have been alive if they did not have their bowel cancer detected early,” Mr Dixon said.
“It certainly is a cheap investment of $15 that may well save your life.”
The test will screen for blood in faeces.
“If you have a positive result, you will need to follow that up with your local doctor, who will already be notified if you have had a positive test,” Mr Dixon said.
“You will usually be referred to a surgeon who will do a colonoscopy and check out what is going on to make sure you have not got bowel cancer.”
