BreastScreen Australia aims to reduce mortality and morbidity from breast cancer by actively recruiting and screening women aged 50-69 years for early detection of the disease.
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BreastScreen Australia Evaluation
The National Cervical Screening Program aims to reduce incidence and death from cervical cancer, in a cost-effective manner, through a more organised approach to cervical screening.
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Vision Impaired
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program aims to reduce the incidence and death from bowel cancer by offering people turning 50 years of age between January 2008 and December 2010, and those turning 55 or 65 between July 2008 and December 2010 screening with a faecal occult blood test in the privacy of their own home.
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The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing will resume testing under the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program from 2 November 2009 following the registration listing this week of a new home-test kit by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program offers Australians, who turn 50 years of age between January 2008 and December 2010, and those turning 55 or 65 between July 2008 and December 2010 a free home test kit..
Bowel cancer kills over 80 Australians each week and we know that bowel cancer screening can cut these deaths down by a third.
The Program was suspended on 11 May 2009 due to the introduction of upgraded faecal occult blood test kits. Routine evaluation of test results under the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program began to show a noticeable decline in the rate of positive results – signs of possible cancer - with the upgraded kits.
Extensive testing was undertaken to identify potential causes and it was found that changes made to the kit by the manufacturer had caused the test result discrepancies. Positive test results were not affected but there was concern that some negative results may have been positive and not detected.
A replacement kit has now been listed by the TGA on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods for use in conditions which are consistent with the administration of the Program. The listing has been endorsed by the Expert Advisory Group appointed by the Department to assess the suitability of the test kit for use in the Program.
Around 600,000 replacement FOBT kits will commence being mailed in November. The majority of participants affected by the temporary suspension of the Program will receive their replacement kit by March 2010. We expect full rollout to be completed by June 2010.
Emphasis will be given to participants in the program who had used a test kit issued since 1 December 2008 and received a negative or inconclusive result. Following the retesting of these participants, those people who received a kit since 1 December 2008 and did not use it will be invited to test.
Early detection of bowel cancer through screening has the potential to prevent as many as 2000 deaths every year.
Bowel cancer can develop with few, if any, early warning sings and early detection through screening can save lives. All people who receive a replacement kit are encouraged to retake the test to obtain a reliable result. Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world and bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer related death after lung cancer.
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program commenced in August 2006 with screening people aged 55 and 65 years. The Australian Government allocated additional funding of $87.4 million to expand the Program and from 1 July 2008 people turning 50 years of age between January 2008 and December 2010 became eligible for screening.
More information can be obtained from the Program Information Line on 1800 118 868 or read the Screening Retest Fact Sheet
9 October 2009.
Australia has one of the best breast cancer screening programs in the world. With breast cancer being the second most common cause of cancer-related death of women in Australia, with 2,618 deaths in 2006, this is a most important and timely report, based on the best available evidence.
Key findings show that the program has clearly met its primary aim of reducing morbidity and mortality from breast cancer in the target age group, is well accepted by women, broadly available and accessible and cost-effective. The evaluation notes that BreastScreen Australia has successfully reduced mortality in the 50–69 years age group by approximately 21–28 per cent.
Information relating to Other Population Health Screening Issues include :
