ABOUT BOWEL CANCER
Screening
Bowel screening is for people who do not have symptoms of bowel cancer. It can help find bowel cancer early – before symptoms appear – when treatment is most effective.
Bowel Cancer New Zealand provides information, support and advocacy for people affected by bowel cancer. New Zealand's National Bowel Screening Programme is delivered by Health New Zealand, who manage eligibility, send out test kits, and provide results.
If you're wondering when you'll receive a test kit, have questions about eligibility, or need help with a screening result, the Health New Zealand bowel screening team are the best people to help.
Learn more below about the national programme, as well as private screening options for those who are not eligible.
Download Factsheet.
New Zealand's National Bowel Screening Programme
The National Bowel Screening Programme is a free, government-run programme designed to help detect bowel cancer early.
Screening is offered every two years to people aged 60–74, with the starting age lowering to 58 nationwide from March 2026. It is available to people who are eligible for publicly funded healthcare.
When it's your turn to be screened, you'll receive an invitation letter, a consent form, and a free bowel screening test kit in the mail.
Screening is one of the most effective ways to find bowel cancer early, before it spreads.
Visit the Health New Zealand bowel screening webpage or call 0800 924 432 to learn more about bowel screening, check your eligibility, or find out where your screening kit is.
When bowel screening is not right for you
Bowel screening is not suitable if you:
- • Have symptoms of bowel cancer
- • Have had a colonoscopy within the last five years
- • Are on a bowel cancer or polyp surveillance programme
- • Have had, or are being treated for, bowel cancer
- • Have had your large bowel removed
- • Have active ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease
- • Are currently seeing your doctor about bowel problems
If you are not eligible for the National Bowel Screening Programme and have concerns about your bowel health, please see your GP without delay.
Private bowel screening options
Private, at-home bowel screening tests are also available for purchase and may offer an additional option for people seeking reassurance. More information can be found here.
Examples include:
IGENZ screening – detects cancer cells in a stool (poo) sample.
Allevia screening – looks for very small amounts of blood in stool.
Before using a private test, it's a good idea to talk with your GP or pharmacist about whether it's right for you.
What does bowel screening involve?
Bowel screening is for people who do not have any obvious symptoms of bowel cancer. Because bowel cancer can develop without early warning signs, screening is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of dying from the disease. When caught early, more than 90% of bowel cancer cases can be treated successfully.
The screening test used in New Zealand is called a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT). The FIT looks for tiny traces of blood in your bowel motion – not for bowel cancer itself. These small amounts of blood are invisible to the naked eye and can come from pre-cancerous polyps or early-stage bowel cancer, often before symptoms appear.
A bowel screening kit includes:
- ✓ A test stick for collecting a small sample of your bowel motion
- ✓ A sample tube
- ✓ A consent form
- ✓ Secure packaging to return your sample for analysis
The test is simple, clean and fast, and is done by you at home. Your results are sent to you and your GP.
To learn more, visit the Health New Zealand bowel screening webpage or call 0800 924 432.
Understanding your bowel screening results
A positive result
Blood has been detected and further testing is needed. This does not automatically mean cancer. Other conditions, such as polyps or haemorrhoids, can also cause bleeding. You should see your GP promptly to discuss the result and next steps.
A negative result
No blood has been detected. You'll be invited to repeat screening every two years. A negative result does not guarantee that bowel cancer is not present, so it's important to see your GP if you develop symptoms at any time.
Important to know
Screening tests are not perfect.
Some bowel cancers do not bleed all the time, and screening tests can occasionally miss cancer. This is why it's important to:
- ✓ Take part in screening when invited, and
- ✓ See your GP promptly if you notice symptoms, regardless of screening results.