Bowel screening critical for aging Pasifika

Toilet talk is being encouraged by bowel screening advocates, who warn bowel cancer often has no symptoms and catching it early can be lifesaving.

Bowel cancer is Aotearoa’s second highest cause of male cancer deaths after lung cancer.

Pacific people are getting diagnosed younger and often have worse outcomes than other ethnicities.

Te Toka Tumai Auckland Bowel Screening Programme spokesperson Sini Taunaholo says a free home test is sent every two years from the time a person turns 60.

“What we're testing for is blood in your stool, blood that's not visible to the human eye.

“So once you complete the test, if it comes back a negative, you do it every two years. If it comes back a positive, you obviously have to come in to have a further investigation.”

Taunaholo acknowledged that it may be uncomfortable to talk about, but the home test could be done discreetly.

“So when you're doing your number two, you just turn around, and you take a little sample about the same size as a matchstick head, and then you pop it back into the test tube.

“A lot of people think that you need a scoop, no you don't, you only need a little bit.”

About 3000 people get diagnosed with cancer every year, and about 1200 die from bowel cancer every year.

Prevention advocate Naeema Mohammed says regular screening can help identify the cancer while it is still treatable.

“It acts as a warrant of fitness for your body, hence why we say do it every two years to make sure you're fit and healthy and everything is working well in your body.

“You're not just doing it for yourself. You're doing it for your family as well.”

Some people may be more at risk if they have a family history of bowel cancer, and health districts in Waikato, Tairāwhiti and MidCentral have lowered the age for free screening to 50 years for Pacific and Māori.

Taunaholo said screening rates had been historically low for Pacific communities, but this was changing.

“It used to be a taboo subject, but now people are slowly coming out and being open to talking about bowel cancer screening.”

She encouraged those who were eligible to complete the home tests, even if they had no symptoms, and to see their GP if they had concerns.

“Symptoms like obvious bleeding in your number two, unexplained weight loss, diarrhoea for more than five days, or constipation for more than five days, those people need to go and see the doctors, but with this home test, it's early prevention.”

Families can order a test kit or get more information by calling 0800 924 432.