Bowel cancer remains Australia’s second deadliest cancer, yet data released today shows people continue to decline the invitation to participate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP).
In 2017-18, slightly more than 5 million people aged 50-74 were invited to participate in the NBCSP, but only 2.1 million (42.4%) took up the offer.
That means only 4 in every 10 people who received the free opportunity to screen at home acted on it.
With an annual cost to the taxpayer of $74 million, higher rates of participation are needed to achieve the intended benefit in terms of reducing illness and death.
