Rural Australians absent from bowel cancer screening

The number of patients being screened for bowel cancer remains worryingly low, especially within Australia’s remote and low-socioeconomic communities, a new study has found.
 
The research, published in Plos One, revealed screening rates are highly variable across the country, with thousands of Australians not using testing kits.
 
It comes after the latest NBCSP report found just 40.9% of Australians aged 50–74 invited to participate in the program in 2020–21 took part, a significant decrease from previous years.
 
According to the Cancer Council, bowel cancer causes the second highest number of cancer deaths in Australia, while incidence is rising among young people.
 
Researchers analysed data from Australia’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) over three years from 2015–16, 2017–18, and 2019–20.
 
Over that time, those living in the Northern Territory, north Queensland and inland Western Australia and South Australia were consistently less likely than the national average to use testing kits.
 
Conversely, rates were higher for coastal areas of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.
 
‘We estimated that the spatial variation in NBCSP participation resulted in over 250,000 missed screens during 2019–2020,’ the report said.
 
It found these disparities are not unique to bowel cancer screenings, with testing for breast and cervical cancer also lower in remote areas.
 
University of Melbourne Professor Jon Emery said increasing this participation was one of the most effective strategies in saving lives.
 
‘General practice plays a key role in promoting the program and checking that patients are up to date with their bowel cancer screening,’ he previously told newsGP.  
 
The report’s authors cited a lack of access to postal facilities, poorer digital media, as well as the overall characteristics of rural communities, which can lessen health seeking behaviours, as key reasons for the disparity.
 
They also found rates of screening were concerningly low among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.  
 
‘Historically, First Nations Australians have faced additional barriers to screening such as the lack of culturally appropriate information on colorectal cancer risk, screening benefits and iFOBT kit usage,’ the report said.
 
In the wake of the data, the reports concluded more research needs to be done to further motivate those living in remote communities to partake in the testing, and to drive up overall participation rates with targeted interventions.
 
Professor Emery said GPs are at the frontline of promoting and increasing these participation rates.

‘GPs are key to discussions around cancer screening, to promoting both informed choices in … screening and increased participation, particularly in the NBCSP,’ he said.
 
Log in to join the conversation.

bowel cancer cancer screening colonoscopy screening program