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 it is easier to treat.
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 have questions about whether you’re eligible, when you’ll receive a test kit or your screening result, the Health New Zealand bowel screening team can help.
Learn more below about the national programme, as well as private screening options for those who are not eligible.
Download our bowel screening factsheet.
New Zealand's National Bowel Screening Programme
New Zealand’s National Bowel Screening Programme is a free programme that helps find bowel cancer early. It offers bowel screening every two years to eligible New Zealanders aged 56 to 74.
If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a bowel screening kit in the mail when it’s time for you to take part.
Bowel cancer can occur at any age. Even if you’re not eligible for screening, it’s important to know the symptoms and talk to your GP if you notice any changes.
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’re not eligible for the National Bowel Screening Programme and have concerns about your bowel health, talk to your GP rather than waiting for a screening test.
Private bowel screening options
Private, at-home bowel screening tests are also available to buy for people who aren’t eligible for the National Bowel Screening Programme or who choose to screen privately.
Examples include:
IGENZ screening – detects cancer-related markers in a stool (poo) sample.
Allevia screening – a FIT (faecal immunochemical test) that looks for very small amounts of blood in the stool.
TrueProactive – a FIT (faecal immunochemical test) that detects hidden blood in the stool.
TrueProactive has advised that when this link is used, a 15% discount will be automatically applied at checkout, and $10 from each test purchased will be donated to support the work of Bowel Cancer New Zealand.
Before using a private test, talk to 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 bowel screening test used in New Zealand is called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT). It’s a simple test that looks for tiny traces of blood in a sample of your poo. It doesn’t test for bowel cancer itself. These tiny amounts of blood can’t be seen and can come from polyps or bowel cancer, sometimes before you have any symptoms.
A bowel screening kit includes:
- ✓ A test stick for collecting a small sample of your poo
- ✓ 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
A positive result means blood has been found in your sample and you’ll need further testing. It does not necessarily mean you have bowel cancer. Other conditions, including polyps or haemorrhoids, can also cause bleeding.
Talk to your GP promptly about your result and what happens next.
A negative result
A negative result means blood has not been found in your sample.
You’ll be invited to screen again every two years while you’re eligible for the National Bowel Screening Programme.
A negative result does not completely rule out bowel cancer. If you develop symptoms or notice changes in your bowel health, talk to your GP.