May is Rotary Bowel Scan Month, and for the 33^rd year straight local Rotarians will be out and about in force this week, urging people to pick up their simple scan kits and test themselves before it is too late.

Bowel Cancer, also known as colon, rectal, or colorectal cancer, is the second most common cancer affecting Australian, both men and women, with an estimated 17,000 diagnosis a year.

Cancer Council community engagement officer Dimity Betts said that screening is especially important for bowel cancer as often there are no symptoms in its early stages.

Although the screening device does not detect cancer, it does pick early warning signs such as microscopic amounts of blood in the stool.

“Picking up early warning signs helps your doctor decide whether to do further tests, such as a colonoscopy,” Mrs Betts said. 

Kits are available from local pharmacists and a stand staffed by Rotary outside Gunnedah Discount Drug Store. The Gunnedah stand will be staffed all week.

Members from Rotary District 9650 will also be selling the $15 screening kits at Tamworth Kmart and Shoppingworld this week.

Gunnedah Rotary member Terry Hagley said it is important that all people over 40 complete the simple test.

“The test is done in your own home and, to cover part of the cost for your kit and pathology testing of it, a fee of $15 as in previous years will be charged,” Mr Hagley said.

Every year the local Rotarians sell “a couple of thousand” of the cheap and highly efficient scan kits, and every year the results are astounding.

In 2015, 600 positive tests were detected in Rotary District 9650, which, on follow-up, resulted in 201 people being diagnosed with adenomas, a benign tumour that can be a precursor to bowel cancer.

“‘Those with positive screening tests are referred to their doctor and the majority of these are simply treated during colonoscopy in day-only surgery,” Mr Garnet said.

“Picking up early signs through screening also means the patient can see their doctor for follow-up tests in the years to come, and hopefully never develop bowel cancer.”

Risk factors for bowel cancer include age, a strong family history, lifestyle factors such as being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking and a diet high in red and processed meat.

The Federal Government intends to introduce a national bowel cancer screening program by 2020.

This year is the last time the Rotary program will be run.