Daylesford Rotary is pushing for bowel cancer awareness with the Rotary national bowel scan.
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The national public awareness program promotes regular testing for and early detection of bowel cancer.
Bowel cancer test kits will be available at Daylesford Chemmart in May.
The risk of developing bowel cancer increases for over 50s, or if one or more blood relatives have had bowel cancer, according to Bowel Cancer Australia. Early detection is said to be the key, with a 90 per cent chance of survival.
Daylesford Rotary member Alan Harrison said the program encouraged screening for all people over 40.
“A lot of Rotary members are in that age group so bowel cancer is something we are very aware of,” he said.
“Rotary have been doing this program for about 25 years and nearly all Rotary clubs around Australia participate.”
Bowel cancer is the third most common type of newly diagnosed cancer in Australia, according to Bowel Cancer Australia. Over 4000 people die from the cancer each year.