Bowel cancer screening — RACGP Fellowship MCQ

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EasyPreventive health and screeningBowel cancer screeningRACGP Fellowship

A 46-year-old man with no bowel symptoms asks about the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. He has no family history of colorectal cancer. What would you advise?

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Correct answer: D — He can request a free bowel screening kit now and repeat testing every two years

Explanation lettering: B = shown as A · A = shown as B · E = shown as D · D = shown as E

Since 1 July 2024, the NBCSP has lowered its eligible starting age from 50 to 45 years. A 46-year-old asymptomatic man without family history is now eligible to request his first free bowel screening kit and participate in biennial screening. The program uses at-home faecal occult blood testing (not colonoscopy) as primary screening. Distractors fail because: (A) the age threshold is now 45, not 50; (B) colonoscopy is a diagnostic follow-up tool, not primary screening in average-risk individuals; (C) screening should be free via NBCSP and performed biennially, not privately and annually; (D) asymptomatic screening saves lives by detecting early-stage disease before symptoms appear.

Reference: Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. National Bowel Cancer Screening Program: Lowered eligible age for bowel screening (August 2024) and Who should do the bowel screening test (July 2025). https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/national-bowel-cancer-screening-program