Early detection of bowel and breast cancer greatly increase survival rates. However, participation rates in Australia’s national bowel and breast cancer screening programs are low. In addition, Australia’s screening programs are population-based and mostly do not target patients considered to be at higher risk.

This study concludes that the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) accounts for a modest fraction of colonoscopy use in Australia, and suggests that promoting adherence to guideline-recommended immunochemical faecal occult blood tests (iFOBT) and colonoscopy use could ease pressure on services and improve outcomes.

The authors of this article assert that Australia’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) has the potential to prevent almost 84,000 bowel cancer deaths if 60% program participation rates could be reached and maintained over the next two decades.

This report presents statistics on the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) using key performance indicators. Of those who were invited to participate in the NBCSP between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2019, 43.5% undertook screening.

Population cancer screening rates are around 50% for the general population and even lower in rural areas. This study aimed to explore knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, motivators and barriers to breast, bowel and cervical screening participation in under-screened men and women with the aim of increasing cancer screening participation in under-screened rural populations.