News

19 June: Red Apple Day

June 16, 2019

June is bowel cancer awareness month. On Red Apple Day (19 June) we give away red apples to help raise awareness about bowel cancer screening.

About Bowel Cancer

Bowel cancer (also known as colorectal cancer) can affect any part of the large bowel (colon) or rectum.

Most bowel cancers start as benign, non-threatening growths (called polyps) on the wall or lining of the bowel. Some polyps are harmless but other can become cancerous (malignant).

Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world with 1 in 13 Australians developing the disease in their lifetime.

Almost 90% of bowel cancer cases can be treated successfully when detected early.

Bowel Cancer Screening

Bowel cancer screening is recommended for people aged 50 and over using a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) every 1 to 2 years.

People with a family history of bowel cancer need extra testing to find bowel cancers early. This may include regular colonoscopies.

For more information, visit Bowel Cancer Australia.