About Bowelscan
Rotary Bowelscan is the initiative of over 300 Rotary Clubs across Australia, working to reduce the number of lives lost to bowel cancer.
The Queensland programme runs year to raises awareness of the risks of bowel cancer and to encourage Australians most at risk to take the annual test.
We urge those between 50-74 to use the free government test kit, and those not covered by the program, the over 75s and under 50s, to buy our Bowelscan test kits, especially if there is a family history of polyps, bowel cancer, and lower abdomen medical issues such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Colitis and Crohns's, all increasing the risk of bowel cancer at any age.
With the support of hundreds of pharmacies throughout Australia, the programme distributes Bowelscan testing kits to local communities, giving people the opportunity to test themselves early and regularly enough to have a fighting chance at survival.
We also sell directly to groups such as Councils, businesses, sporting groups and associations offering discounts for those who buy in bulk.
Bowelscan kits are affordable, easy to use and include pathology testing by accredited pathologists such as Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology. All proceeds from the kits are put back into the programme to allow it to continue to provide this valuable community service.
Our History
The idea behind Rotary Bowelscan was first developed in 1982 in northern New South Wales by a local doctor and fellow Rotarian, Dr Bill Brand who identified the need for a low cost, easy to use diagnostic test for bowel cancer.
Since these humble beginnings, the programme has grown significantly with the support of Australian Rotary Health, www.australianrotaryhealth.org.au, participating pharmacies and Rotary volunteers to continue to save the lives of thousands of Australian men and women from bowel cancer.
In Queensland, medical laboratory group Sullivan Nicolaides, www.snp.com.au, provides major assistance by professionally analysing each returned kit and contributing to the continued success of the programme.
The Rotary Bowelscan programme compliments the Queensland Government’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Program in offering testing to age groups still at risk but not eligible for the Government’s programme.