Queensland Rotary Bowelscan Committee launch bowel cancer awareness campaign in Biloela and Banana shire

“Our community is well above the national average so we all need to #GetYourBumIntoGear and get tested.”

Frightening bowel cancer statistics have revealed Biloela is 20 per cent above the national average for excess bowel cancer deaths.

Frightening bowel cancer statistics have revealed Biloela is 20 per cent above the national average for excess bowel cancer deaths.

With the aim of helping Biloela residents #GetYourBumIntoGearBiloela, the Queensland Rotary Bowelscan Committee is hoping a whole-of-town approach will turn that around with an awareness campaign.

From Monday July 19 to 25, the #GetYourBumIntoGearBiloela Week wants to grab the attention of the whole town including the council, health professionals, businesses, sporting groups and volunteer groups.

Following on from the successful #GetYourBumIntoGearQLD Tour last April, Rotary is hoping to raise awareness of bowel cancer, the symptoms, encouraging over 50s to use the free government test kits and to help prevent early onset under age 50 bowel cancers.

Spokeswoman for the Queensland Rotary Bowelscan Committee Mal Padgett said many people thought bowel cancer was just an old person’s disease, however, that was not the case.

“Ten per cent of bowel cancer sufferers are under 50, which means around 1550 Australians annually or 30 young people a week are told they have bowel cancer,” she said.

“On our recent tour through Queensland, the people we met in Biloela were visibly shocked when they heard that high bowel cancer statistic for their town.

“Everyone we met had no idea and all wanted to know how they can help.

“#GetYourBumIntoGearBiloela is an opportunity to rally the whole community to fight this preventable disease.”

Banana Shire Mayor Nev Ferrier encouraged Biloela residents to get behind the campaign.

“Our community is well above the national average so we all need to #GetYourBumIntoGear and get tested,” Mr Ferrier said.

“Help spread the message through your community or workplace anyway you can and we can get this number down.”

On Rotary #BowelscanQLD social media, they interviewed five young Queenslanders from age 29 to 39 for their #2Young4BowelCancer campaign, all of whom have challenging stories of how their lives were turned upside-down when they contracted early onset bowel cancer.

Around 15,500 people contract bowel cancer a year which is the second highest cancer killer and the third most diagnosed cancer.

If it is found early enough it is 98 per cent curable but only 50 per cent are found early.

If it is found at stage 4, the five year survival rate drops to 16 per cent.

Only 42 per cent of the free Federal Government bowel cancer test kits are returned, only one in three between 50 and 55 use them.

Rotary is selling test kits online for $20 or you can buy one at local pharmacies Biloela Discount Chemist and Biloela Medical Centre Pharmacy.

Until 31 July, search for #BowelscanQLD to find and follow Rotary’s campaign social media and also to purchase a kit online.