Free bowel cancer early detection kit puts time back on your side

Making your own luck is something all Australians aged 50 to 74 can do thanks to the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program – so Get2it with a free home kit that can detect pre-cancer problems.

Tim Paget was one of those guys – the ones who put things off. He only did his at-home bowel cancer screening test when his daughter prompted him. The farmer’s positive result revealed he had polyps, but lucky for him they were identified before they turned cancerous. If detected early, 90 per cent of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated. Do the test when you receive it. It could prove a life-saver.

WHEN YOU FIRST RECEIVED THE BOWEL SCREENING TEST, DID YOU JUMP ON IT STRAIGHTAWAY OR DISMISS IT? WHY?

I admit I didn’t do it straightaway. I was busy, so I left it for a few weeks. I was watching television one day and saw an ad come on about the same test. My daughter was sitting on the couch with me, so I asked her whether the test would pick up any problems and she told me that it would tell me if there was anything that needed to be followed up, so I got onto it.

WHEN YOU RECEIVED THE POSITIVE RESULT, WAS IT A SHOCK?

The previous bowel tests had come back all clear, so when I got sent another test in 2020, I figured I’d get the same outcome. I was told by my doctor that while my first sample in the kit I returned was fine, my second sample tested positive for blood. He told me that blood could be an indicator of something more sinister, like bowel cancer, and I needed to get it checked out just to be on the safe side. He organised a referral to get a colonoscopy with a specialist in the next town over.

Farmer Tim Paget was prompted by his daughter to do the free at-home bowel screening test, which discovered precancerous polyps that were successfully removed. Picture: Supplied

DID YOU HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS OR RISK FACTORS FOR BOWEL CANCER?

I didn’t have any symptoms and felt healthy and well, that’s why it was such a shock. You never really know what’s going on inside you; I had no symptoms, and everything felt all right so I would never have noticed anything was wrong. It’s scary to think what would have happened if I didn’t do the test. After speaking with my doctor about bowel cancer, I learned that I had some risk factors, like drinking alcohol and putting on a few kilos over the years. I also didn’t realise bowel cancer was so common in the “over 50s”.

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE POSITIVE RESULT?

It was a bit of a shock. The bowel screening test I had completed in 2018 came back fine so I was expecting the same result the next time around.

Tim Paget’s daughter Rebecca prompted him to do the at-home bowel cancer screening test after seeing an ad on TV together about the free kit. Picture: Supplied

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

I was booked in for a follow-up colonoscopy a couple of months later. It was scary, as I didn’t know what the outcome was going to be. The morning of the colonoscopy was particularly nerve-racking, but fortunately it all went pretty well. When I woke up, the specialist told me that they found a few polyps that they had to remove, but no cancer. It was a huge relief.

YOUR POLYPS WERE PRE-CANCEROUS – WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THEY HAD TURNED CANCEROUS?

I was told that most bowel cancers start off as polyps, so who knows what would have happened if I had left them unchecked.

The free at-home bowel cancer screening kit is available every two years to Australians aged 50 to 74 as part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. Picture: supplied

WHAT WAS YOUR RECOVERY LIKE? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE?

Recovery after the colonoscopy was very straightforward, and I was back to work after a day or two with no issues.

WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE FOR OTHERS?

I’m in my 60s and at my age, health becomes really important. I still run the family farm in Kingston and do a lot of contract work, so my income relies on me being fit and healthy. I have diabetes so I am trying to look after myself as best I can, and doing the test was another way for me to do that. My message to everyone, especially men my age, is to do the test. It’s easy to do, it doesn’t cost you anything and it gives you peace of mind. Why wouldn’t you do it?

Cancer Council and the Australian Government Department of Health are urging Australians aged 50 – 74 to Get2it and participate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. For more information visit cancer.org.au/bowelscreening.

Scan the QR code for more information about the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.

Originally published as Free bowel cancer early detection kit puts time back on your side