By KATH GANNAWAY
YARRA Valley Rotarians are reminding residents to make the most of life-saving bowel scans in May.
Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world with around 80 people dying each week from what, if found early, is one of the most curable types of cancer.
Rotary has been involved in the program for around a decade and Rotarian, Dr Ian Tinney, says the benefits are proven … and priceless.
“In the process of making these screening tests available, we have found several people with bowel cancers whose lives were saved,” he said.
“We have found a lot more with polyps and other bowel conditions that needed treatment and these would not have been identified without some sort of screen test; certainly not in time.”
Dr Tinney said one of the changes over time had been that people had got over any squeamishness about doing the test.
“More and more people, having taken the first step of buying the kits, are now sending their tests back for analysis,” he said.
“There’s no use buying them unless they are sent back; that’s vital.”
The take-home kits can be purchased for $10 through pharmacies in Healesville, Seville, Wandin, Woori Yallock, Warburton and Yarra Junction.
The test is simple – just follow the clear instructions, return it to the pharmacy as soon as possible and wait for the results.
One of the other satisfying outcomes from Rotary championing this life-saving program, and delivering the results, is that it has led to the Federal Government taking on a major role in providing the service in the future.
“We (Rotary) are working much more in co-operation with the government than we ever have and by 2020 the government will be doing tests every two years,” Dr Tinney said.
“Over the last year or two, the government has come to the conclusion that it’s well worth while doing these scans and have really pulled their fingers out.”
