Bowel Screening Programme offers unique opportunity for Waitemata resi…
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08/07/2014. 13:22
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Latest figures released from the Waitemata District Health Board’s Bowel Screening Pilot show 53.8percent of people invited to take part in the pilot have returned a completed bowel screening test.
Waitemata DHB chief executive Dr Dale Bramley says the participation rate is high compared to internationally accepted standards but there is still room for improvement.
“It is important for our community to know that this unique opportunity exists in the Waitemata DHB area – all eligible people should learn about the programme and take action to participate,” says Dr Bramley.
“Bowel cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer overall for both men and women in New Zealand, and the second leading cause of death from cancer. The pilot has detected cancer in 164 people so far.”
Waitemata DHB was chosen to host the pilot given its likely ability to successfully manage such a large programme. The results of the pilot will help inform whether a national programme will be rolled out.
Waitemata DHB residents aged 50‐74 who are eligible for publically funded health care can
participate in the Bowel Screening Pilot.
Provisional Ministry of Health data for the first full screening round (two years from January 2012 to December 2013) is now available. The results show:
53.8 percent of people invited to take part have returned a completed bowel screening test kit
125,606 people were invited to take part in the pilot
67,528 people returned a correctly completed test kit that was tested in the laboratory
4,341 people had a colonoscopy at the pilot’s dedicated endoscopy unit at Waitakere
Hospital
About 7 in 10 people who have a colonoscopy will have polyps. Bowel polyps are removed at colonoscopy and some participants identified with bowel polyps will be advised to have regular colonoscopy in the future
Nearly 5 in 100 people who have a colonoscopy through the programme will be found to
have cancer and will require treatment
Bowel cancer was found in 164 people
International studies supported by the provisional results from the District Health Board’s pilot show that bowel screening is finding cancers earlier and leading to faster treatment.
“Approximately 60 percent of the cancers the DHB is seeing through the programme are stage 1 and 2, resulting in a much higher chance of being cured by surgery alone, without the need for chemotherapy,” says Dr Bramley.
“Bowel screening finds cancers very early on when they are just beginning to grow, and before they have the opportunity to spread – over 90 percent of patients are cured if bowel cancer is found early.”
Not all population groups are participating in the pilot in equal measure. Māori have an average participation rate of 42.2 percent, compared to 51.7 percent for Asian, 26.4 percent for Pacific and 56.6 percent for other population groups. The reasons behind these differences are being investigated and efforts are being made to increase participation for Maori and Pacific populations.
Dr Bramley is very keen to ensure all people of the district have equal access to the programme.
“Dedicated Maori and Pacific community co‐ordinators are available to provide help and information about the bowel screening test in a variety of languages. They can be contacted via the 0800 924 432 number.”
About the programme:
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 that bowel cancer is developing.
From October 2011, men and women aged 50 to 74 living in the Waitemata District Health Board area are being invited to take part in a FREE Bowel Screening programme to check for early signs of bowel cancer.
You don’t have to enrol or call us to take part. When it is your turn to take the test we’ll send you an invitation letter explaining how you can do this simple test at home. To find out more about the programme visit
www.BowelScreeningWaitemata.co.nz or call 0800 924 432.
IMPORTANT – If you think you have bowel cancer symptoms now, please contact your GP immediately.