Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. The minister may be aware of a Bowel Cancer Awareness breakfast held last Thursday. Given that 73 Australians die from bowel cancer each week and that more than 90 per cent of bowel cancers can be cured if detected early, can the minister update the House about any plans for future implementation of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, including re-screening eligible people instead of one-off testing?

Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for New England for his question. I am sure he would be aware that the breakfast was well attended by members from both sides of the House and from the crossbenches and senators who have taken a close interest in this good work that the Cancer Council has been doing in raising awareness about bowel cancer screening. I can advise the House that we are very conscious of the request to expand and extend this program. The member would probably be aware that, in 2008, our government made a decision to not only provide for the continuation of the program—something that had not been provided for in the forward estimates by the previous government—but also extend the program to include 50-year-olds, the date at which screening for bowel cancer should commence. As the program currently stands, it is available to 50-year-olds, 55-year-olds and 65-year-olds. The government has received advice that the absolute rolled gold clinical standard would be to commence screening at 50 and to do that every two years thereafter. We will be considering those proposals in the budget context next year.