Avoiding the big C

By Kath Gannaway
But this year there will be 5000 or so people around Australia who, with hindsight, would be more than happy to be uttering those seven words in place of these … “I’ve got bowel cancer. It’s terminal.”
During May, the Rotary Club of Healesville will run the Bowelscan early detection program in conjunction with pharmacies in Healesville, Yarra Glen, Yarra Junction and Lilydale.
It’s the third year the Rotary Club of Healesville has run the program in theYarra Valley and each year more people are taking the opportunity the scan offers for early detection of the second most deadly cancer killer in the country after lung cancer.
Rotarians, Dr Ian Tinney and Graeme Chester delivered the Bowelscan kits last week and at Yarra Glen pharmacist Ted Cheung said he expected more people to participate this year.
“Each year the number has increased,” he said. “I think more people are getting to know about it and see the benefit,”
That benefit has two elements – early detection which gives a 90 per cent chance of being cured, or peace of mind.
The program is for men and women over 40 years of age and costs $6.
Mr Chester said the process is as simple as taking the kit home, following the clear instructions and returning it to the pharmacy as soon as possible.
“We collect the kits and send them to the pathology laboratory for analysis and the results are mailed to the customer – positives immediately, and negatives in early July,” Mr Chester explained.
“The kits detect microscopic bleeding from the bowel and early detection is the key to beating the disease,” he said.
Dr Tinney said Rotary’s aim this year, as well as having more people pick up the kit, was to have more return it. In Healesville and Wandin last year 62.1 per cent were returned for analysis while in Upper Yarra it fell to 47.5 per cent and in Lilydale only 39.9 per cent.
For more information visit your local pharmacy or phone Mr Chester on 0412 165 420.