More than half ignore bowel test: Charlotte didn’t, it saved her life

Charlotte Hassing felt fine, just a bit tired ... but then her world changed in an instant.

Charlotte Hassing with husband Gert Hoekstra was diagnosed with bowel cancer after a free bowel screening test. Picture: Annette Dew

Brisbane woman Charlotte Hassing had no obvious symptoms when her GP handed her a free bowel cancer test kit earlier this year after she tested for low iron levels and had a lingering sense of fatigue.

“The test came back positive showing there was blood in my stool that wasn’t visible to the naked eye,” she said.

“It surprised me, but I still didn’t think anything major was wrong.”

That surprise turned to shock when a follow-up colonoscopy at Mater Private Hospital Springfield confirmed a bowel cancer diagnosis for the 48-year-old.

“I’m still in shock about it and don’t really have any symptoms,” she said.

Ms Hassing is now undergoing immunotherapy treatment and may need surgery to remove 20cm of her bowel.

What you need to know about bowel cancer in Australians. Picture: Bowel Cancer Australia

Her case is far from isolated.

The latest National Bowel Cancer Screening Program Monitoring Report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare revealed more than 60 per cent of eligible Australians ignored their free screening kits between 2021 and 2022.

“Despite free test kits being mailed to eligible Australians, only 40 per cent participated in the screening program between 2021 and 2022.”

Of the 6 million people aged between 50 and 74 who were invited to take part in the program over those two years, just 40 per cent participated, with 3.6 million failing to return their test kits, despite the program’s proven lifesaving benefits.

Charlotte Hassing’s life was turned upside-down after her shock bowel cancer diagnosis. Picture: Annette Dew

Mater gastroenterologist Dr Sylvia Vigh said early detection was critical.

“By the time people have bowel cancer symptoms like blood in their stool, stomach pain, fatigue, weight loss or changes in their bowel movements, it normally means the cancer has progressed,” Dr Vigh said.

“Around 90 per cent of stage one bowel cancers can be successfully treated if found early, so it’s really important for people to do these tests and if they are positive, they should get a colonoscopy, as soon as possible.”

In 2022, 64,932 Australians, or about 6 per cent of those screened, returned a positive result, indicating blood in their sample.

However, only 13.5 per cent received a follow-up colonoscopy within the recommended 30 days, a concerning drop from 15.6 per cent in 2021.

Depending on where they lived, patients were forced to wait between 133 and 197 days for a colonoscopy, well beyond the ideal time frame.

Bowel cancer remains the second deadliest cancer in Australia, with more than 15,300 people diagnosed each year and more than 5300 deaths annually.

One in nine new diagnoses now occur in people under the age of 50.

Australia also has the highest rate of bowel cancer in the world among those under 50, a worrying trend that prompted a recent policy change.

From July 1, 2024, Australians aged 45 to 49 could opt-in to receive screening kits every two years, five years earlier than previously allowed.

Since the program began in 2006, more than 11.4 million screening tests have been completed, with around 4.8 million Australians participating at least once.

Among those who screened in 2022, 6 per cent had a positive result, and 1 in 25 of those who underwent diagnostic follow-up were diagnosed with a confirmed or suspected cancer.

Ms Hassing’s cancer turned out to be hereditary and is more responsive to immunotherapy than traditional chemotherapy.

But, she said the toughest part was not the treatment but the uncertainty.

“The main side effect is fatigue, and I have trouble concentrating, but the hardest part is the waiting and not knowing if it’s working,” she said.

“My message is don’t wait, do the test and opt in as soon as you can, because it could save your life.”