Bowel Cancer Screening

Bowel cancer kills over 70 Australians each week and is the second most common cause of cancer related deaths in Australia. However if this cancer is caught early, then 90% of the time it can be treated successfully, highlighting the importance of early detection.

It is recommended for both men and women who are of the age 50 and over to have an annual bowel cancer screening test, even if there are no symptoms or no personal or family history of bowel cancer or polyps.
At Discount Drug Stores we are helping to try and improve the detection rate of bowel cancer. There are often no obvious symptoms of the disease, with blood in the faeces only becoming visible to the naked eye when the cancer has become more advanced.

If you do experience symptoms such as blood in the stool, recent and persistent changes in bowel habit, general stomach discomfort, frequent gas or pains, unexplained weight loss or have a strong family history of bowel cancer then you should speak to your doctor as soon as possible.

The Australian designed and manufactured test we supply at Discount Drug Stores is BowelScreen Australia®. This test uses an immunochemical faecal occult blood test, which involves taking a tiny sample from two separate bowel motions and placing them onto a provided card.  This is then sent to the laboratory where the samples are analysed for traces of blood that could be an early sign of bowel cancer.  A letter will be sent to you encouraging you to speak to the doctor if there is blood found in the analysis, this does not mean you have bowel cancer but that further testing is required.

The advantages of this test are that it is:
•    Simple
•    Non-invasive
•    Highly accurate
•    Requires no diet or medication restrictions
•    Completed in the privacy of your own home

For more information on bowel cancer screening or to purchase a BowelScreen Australia® please ask our friendly staff in-store.