New Zealand has one of the highest bowel cancer rates in the world. Bowel screening can save lives by detecting bowel cancers at an early stage, when they can be treated more successfully. This is important, as there may be no warning signs or symptoms that bowel cancer is developing.

From October 2011, men and women aged 50 to 74 who live in the Waitemata District Health Board area are being invited to take part in a FREE BowelScreening programme to check for early signs of bowel cancer. BowelScreening is part of a four-year pilot to test whether bowel screening should be introduced throughout New Zealand. During the four-year pilot most people will be screened twice.


    

 

If you are aged 50 to 74, living in the Waitemata District Health Board area and eligible for publicly funded healthcare, you can take advantage of the FREE BowelScreening programme.

 

When it is your turn to take the test we’ll send you an invitation letter. About four weeks after you receive your invitation, you will automatically be sent a free test kit, with detailed instructions on how to use it.

If you wish to take part in the screening programme, you just have to follow the instructions and return your sample to the laboratory in the Freepost envelope provided.

If you have any bowel cancer symptoms now, please visit your doctor. Don’t wait for your test kit.

Take a look at our brochure to see how the BowelScreening programme works.

 

  • Available from October for Waitemata DHB residents aged 50 - 74 during the pilot (2012 to 2015).
  • Checks for early signs of bowel cancer in people with no obvious symptoms.
  • It’s a simple test you can do at home.
  • You will be sent an invitation letter, followed by a test kit, when it is your turn to take the test.

  • People will be invited according to their date of birth - this means some people won’t get an invitation for up to two years.
     

 

 

 

We’ll be out and about in the community talking about this great FREE BowelScreening programme.

See when we’ll be in your area and you can come and learn more about the programme.