Hastings Rotary Clubs are banding together to help save lives through the annual Bowel Scan Program.
The program, which has been running for 24 years, has been responsible for finding 6294 people in the community harbouring potential bowel cancer, including 468 positive cancers.
Rotary Club of Port Macquarie West project co-ordinator Kevin Pike said there are many causes for people to have free or invisible blood in the bowel — not all are associated with cancer.
With one simple and cheap test, most sources of mysterious blood emanating from the bowel will be detected, he said.
After the test, both you and your doctor will be notified by letter from our overseeing doctor, of positive or negative results, Mr Pike said.
Once having this potential life saving information it is then up to you to discuss this result with your own doctor.
Mr Pike said the Hastings community is reminded that early detection is the most important factor in the treatment of this condition and the latest medical advice favours annual testing.  Early detection is often treated with very satisfactory outcomes.
It is important that all people over 40 years of age test themselves each year by using the Rotary Occult Blood Bowel Scan Test Kit, Mr Pike said.
This test is simple and is performed in your own home.
Kits can be obtained from all pharmacies in the Port Macquarie area from February 28 until March 18 and from the Rotary stands in Settlement City and Port Central shopping areas from Saturday, March 5 until Friday, March 11.
Kits are $8 each.
Completed kits can be returned to any pharmacy in our area and are collected by Rotary and will be processed through Port Macquarie Base Hospital Pathology Laboratory until March 30.
