Breast and Bowel concerns
September 26, 2012
THERE is a dangerous knowledge
gap regarding the two most common
cancers of Australian women,
according to Bowel Cancer Australia.
The comments come on the back
of research by Bowel Cancer
Australia, involving 1,000 men and
women aged between 40-70, which
found that whilst 89% of women
felt quite informed about breast
cancer this figure dropped significantly
for awareness of bowel cancer (56%).
Interestingly even Aussie males
said they knew more about breast
cancer (60%) than bowel cancer (53%).
Bowel cancer is the second most
common cancer for both women
and men (after breast and prostate
cancer respectively) and the
number two cancer killer of
Australians, after lung.
Responding to the report, Julien
Wiggins, Chief Executive of Bowel
Cancer Australia said that the
relatively poor knowledge about
bowel cancer was likely to be one
important contributing factor to
poor participation rates for testing
among those aged 50-70.
“In females, 84% said they had
some form of a breast cancer check
but only 48% said they had a bowel
cancer check in the last couple of
years,” he said.
“Our research highlights the
community benefit of long-standing,
well-funded and well-promoted
government screening programs
and awareness campaigns for
mammography and pap tests.
“We need similar action for bowel
cancer,” he added.
Wiggins also added that when
women are booking their breast
screening appointment, that they
should also consider a bowel
cancer screening as well.
“Bowel cancer is not a bloke’s
cancer,” he said.
“It affects men and women
almost equally but less than half of
the participants (44%) knew this,
while 36% were unsure of what the
gender split was,” he added.
MEANWHILE in the absence of a
government funded awareness
program, Wiggins encouraged
Aussies to engage in three simple
steps: Talk- about signs and
symptoms and testing for bowel
cancer; Test- take a bowel cancer
screening test (particularly for
those over 50) and Tell- share
family medical history with close
relatives.
“We need the community to be
better informed and better
prepared,” Wiggins said.
“Bowel cancer affects men and
women and while the risk increases
markedly from age 50, those under
50 are not immune from the
country’s second biggest cancer
killer,” he added.
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