The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) started in Australia in 2006. Its aim is to reduce morbidity and mortality from bowel cancer by actively recruiting and screening the target population for early detection or prevention of the disease. An earlier study (AIHW 2014) quantified and evaluated the effectiveness of the NBCSP for 2006–2008 invitees against this aim. This current report extended those findings by linking a larger NBCSP invitee cohort (2006–2010) to more recent cancer incidence and mortality data to analyse 51,832 people diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2006–2015. Of these:

• 15,454 were invited to participate in the NBCSP in 2006–2010 as part of the target population’s turning 50, 55 or 65 (NBCSP invitees)

• 36,378 were aged 50–74 when diagnosed, but did not turn 50, 55 or 65 in 2006–2010 and were therefore not invited to screen in that period (non-invitees)

This report compares the outcomes (mortality) and cancer characteristics of these two populations. It shows that NBCSP invitees (particularly those who participated) had less risk of dying from bowel cancer, and were more likely to have less-advanced bowel cancers when diagnosed, than non-invitees. These findings confirm that the NBCSP is contributing to reducing morbidity and mortality from bowel cancer in Australia.