Bowel screening: who the free test is for and how it works
Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Australia. It is also one of the quietest. It can grow for years without producing a single symptom you would notice, which is exactly why a free test arrives in the post rather than waiting for you to feel unwell.
Why a test for people who feel fine
Bowel cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Australia. The risk climbs with age and it affects men and women alike.
The encouraging part is what early detection does to the odds. Over 90 per cent of bowel cancers can be treated successfully when they are found early. Screening is not a test for people who feel unwell. It is a test for people who feel perfectly well, because that is the point at which a bowel cancer is most treatable.
Who the free test is for
Since 1 July 2024 the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program has covered everyone aged 45 to 74. Eligible people can do the free test at home every two years. The age came down from 50 to 45 after the colorectal cancer clinical guidelines were updated to recommend screening from 45.
How you get your kit depends on your age. If you are 50 to 74, a free kit is posted to you automatically every two years. If you are 45 to 49, nothing arrives until you ask: you can request your first free kit through the National Cancer Screening Register webform or by calling 1800 627 701.
The program also says that eligible people aged 45 to 74 can ask a doctor about getting a kit.
What the test actually involves
The kit contains an immunochemical faecal occult blood test, usually shortened to iFOBT. It looks for traces of blood in your poo that are far too small to see.
Everything you need comes in the box. You collect a tiny sample from two separate bowel motions, seal them as the instructions describe and post them to the laboratory in the reply-paid envelope. There is no preparation, no change to what you eat and no appointment to attend.
Your result is sent to you and to the doctor you nominate, usually within four weeks.
What your result means
A negative result means no blood was found in either sample. You will be invited to screen again two years after your last completed test.
A positive result means traces of blood were found. It does not mean you have cancer. Blood can come from polyps or from haemorrhoids as well. What it does mean is that the cause needs to be looked into, usually with a colonoscopy, so the next step is a conversation with a GP about a referral.
Do not wait for the next kit if something changes
Screening is designed for people without symptoms. Symptoms are a separate conversation and they do not wait for a two year cycle.
Book an appointment if you notice blood in your poo or in the toilet bowl. The same goes for a lasting change in your toilet habits, for unexplained tiredness or weight loss, or for stomach pain.
Family history matters too. More than 75 per cent of people diagnosed with bowel cancer have no family history at all, so its absence is not reassurance. Its presence changes the picture. A parent, brother, sister or child diagnosed under 55 is worth raising with a GP, as is more than one close relative diagnosed at any age.
Questions people ask
I am under 45. Should I be screening? The program's age range comes from the colorectal cancer clinical guidelines, which do not recommend population screening below 45. If you have symptoms or a family history, that is a conversation to have with a GP rather than a reason to wait.
I am over 74. Why do the kits stop? After 74, the risks of a follow-up colonoscopy start to outweigh the benefit of screening. That is why the kits stop. You can still see a GP about bowel symptoms at any age.
I threw my kit out. A replacement is free. Request one through the National Cancer Screening Register webform or call 1800 627 701.
I am 52 and nothing has arrived. Check that your Medicare details are up to date, then call the register on 1800 627 701.
The easiest health task on your list
A screening kit only works once it has been done and posted. If yours is sitting in a drawer, it is very likely the quickest thing you will tick off this month.
To talk any of this through, call us on 02 9528 5266, Monday to Thursday 8:00am to 5:30pm and Friday 8:00am to 2:00pm. We are closed Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
Source: Cancer Council Australia, National Bowel Cancer Screening Program frequently asked questions, www.cancer.org.au/bowelscreening/faq, accessed 29 September 2026. Program eligibility, kit request routes and test method as set out by the Australian Government National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, health.gov.au/nbcsp.
