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| Bowelscan program has cancer in its sights |
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A BOWELSCAN program has been launched in Tasmania following research that shows the cost savings to the health system are significant if people take a bowel scan and are treated early.
The program, which was launched in Tasmania by the Minister for Health and Human Services Lara Giddings, is an initiative of Rotary International and ran in the state in 2007 for the first time with great success.  Minister for Health and Human Services Lara Gidding, Trevor Hopf, chairman of Rotary International Bowelscan Program, and Dr Mike Cook, medical adviser to Bowelscan. Rotary’s chairman for Bowelscan Trevor Hopf said that in 2007 Tasmanians bought 2300 kits for $6 from participating pharmacies, which were then tested for hidden blood. “Bowel cancer is the second most common form of cancer in Australia. There are 12,800 new cases of bowel cancer detected each year and around 90 Australians die every week. This accounts for one person every two hours,” Mr Hopf said. “Of the 2300 Bowelscan tests conducted in Tasmania in 2007, there were 69 people that returned a positive result. Of the more serious cases, nine people were diagnosed with bowel cancer, one with lymphoma, four with high grade Dysplasia, and 16 with polyps, a precursor to bowel cancer,” Mr Hopf said. Mr Hopf said that there is a 90 per cent survival rate if the bowel cancer is detected early and encouraged everyone over the age of 40 to take the Bowelscan test on an annual basis. “The Bowelscan test is just $6 and can be taken in the privacy of the person’s own home. Six dollars is a very small price to pay for peace of mind and to know that they do not have such a virulent disease. “Bowelscan testing kits and ancillary information are available throughout March at 130 participating pharmacies across the state.” The direct cost of all cancers, to the healthcare system, of which bowel cancer is the second most prevalent, is $2.7 billion per year or close to six per cent of the health budget.
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