A new bowel cancer awareness campaign is urging Australians to be proactive about their health and the message is clear: Don't Be A Fool, Test Your Stool!
Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world, with over 14,000 Australians diagnosed with the disease each year.
More than three times as many people die from bowel cancer as do on our nation's roads.
Chief Executive Officer of Bowel Cancer Australia, Julien Wiggins said he hoped the prominent advertising would make it difficult for people to ignore the importance of bowel cancer screening.
"We need to put bowel cancer awareness and screening on the radar of all Australians – both men and women, young and old,"
"It's too important to ignore when you consider that if detected early, bowel cancer can be successfully treated in 90 percent of cases," said Mr Wiggins.
Colorectal surgeon, Professor Adrian Polglase of Let's Beat Bowel Cancer hopes the new campaign will help to encourage Australians to include bowel cancer screening into their regular, routine health check-ups.
"If you're 50 and over you should be screening for this cancer every one to two years. If you are under 50 you need to be bowel aware. If you have a family history of bowel cancer, or are experiencing symptoms such as a persistent change in bowel habit, blood in the stool, abdominal bloating, cramping abdominal pain or unexplained weight loss, I urge you to see your GP ASAP" Professor Polglase said.
Professor Polglase also called on children with parents or grandparents 50 and over to encourage their loved ones to screen regularly.
Bowel cancer screening tests are available to purchase from participating community pharmacies, online at testyourstool.org or by calling 1800 555 494.
Don't Be A Fool, Test Your Stool is an initiative of Let's Beat Bowel Cancer (a Cabrini initiative) and Bowel Cancer Australia during January – March 2014.