Dr Carlene Wilson

1600 residents of Adelaide’s southern and hills suburbs have received a special gift from the CSIRO, one which may save their lives.

But it’s not a gift they might expect, it’s a free kit for screening colorectal (bowel) cancer which they were asked to use at home and post back to a screening service for analysis.

The simple kit, a faecal occult blood test (FOBT) has been used in a study by the Preventative Health National Research Flagship to investigate how people react when given different cues to prompt them to carry out the test.

It was sent in the mail to randomly selected residents aged between 50 and 75 years throughout June.

The “cues to action” study is investigating how to increase the number of people who take up annual screens for colorectal cancer, which is the most prevalent form of newly diagnosed cancer affecting Australians.

“Research around the world suggests that only about 20 to 40 per cent of people aged between 50 and 75 years actually undertake a screen,” says research leader Dr Carlene Wilson.

“This is despite randomised trials indicating a reduction in mortality of 23 per cent among the population who participate in screening, as well as a reduction in later-stage colorectal cancers.

“If people are asked to plan their actions, they are more likely to carry them out. Our study aims at looking at different cues which encourage people to undertake colorectal cancer screening, to see which is the most effective.”

The study involves four groups of 400 men and women. They were each sent a screening kit with an information sheet, but three of the groups were sent three different types of action plans to assist them in completing the screening process.

The project team is now analysing the results to see what version attracts the best response rate and to see what effect the different cues to action had on the uptake of screening.

If a person’s test indicated a positive result due to tiny amounts of blood in bowel motions, further investigations to determine the reason for the blood are being organised through the Bowel Health Service, part of Flinders University’s Department of Medicine based at the Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, Adelaide.

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The Preventative Health Flagship is a CSIRO initiative and part of the National Research Flagships program that aims to deliver scientific solutions to advance Australia's most important national objectives. One of the largest scientific initiatives ever mounted in Australia, it aligns closely with the Federal Government's National Research Priorities. The initiative brings together our national research resources to deliver breakthroughs in fields ranging from healthcare to light metals and the environment.

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