From 1 July 2024, people aged 45 to 49 will be eligible to screen with the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.
Eligible people aged 45 to 49 will be able to join the Program by requesting their first bowel screening kit at www.ncsr.gov.au/boweltest or by calling the National Cancer Screening Register Contact Centre on 1800 627 701. They will also be able to talk to their doctor about getting a kit through the Program’s alternative access to kits model.
Once people aged 45 to 49 request their first kit, their next kit will automatically be mailed to them 2 years after their last test result—consistent with existing program practice for people aged 50 to 74. There is no change to current program practice for eligible people aged 50 to 74, who will continue to automatically receive a bowel cancer screening kit in the mail every 2 years.
(People outside the eligible age range for population screening: While evidence indicates that bowel cancer occurs in people younger than 45 and older than 74, current clinical guidance does not recommend population-scale screening outside of the recommended age range. Instead, people aged 40 to 44 can talk to their doctor about doing a non-program screening test every two years in the lead-up to becoming eligible to screen with the Program. People aged 75 to 85 who are fit, well and healthy, and concerned about bowel cancer are encouraged to talk with their doctor about the benefits and potential harms of screening in context of their individual health situation. Should a doctor recommend screening, a Medicare funded kit may be made available or alternatively, non-program bowel screening kits are available for purchase at pharmacies or online. Anyone who is experiencing signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, or has a family history of bowel cancer, should talk to their doctor.)