Cancer Screening – what do I need to know?
One of the key differences between Australia and many other countries is our access to free screening for some cancers. This is crucial because early detection and treatment has been proven time and time again to not only be lifesaving but also saves patients from undergoing extensive treatment regimens as cancers may be caught earlier and are thus more amenable to simple treatment.
Breast, cervical and bowel cancer are three cancers which are not only common in Australia but have screening programs which are safe, reliable and tolerable.
Breast Cancer
Let’s talk about breast cancer first. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in Australian women and the second most common cause of death from cancer in Australian women. By the time a woman is 85 years of age, the chance of them being diagnosed with breast cancer is 1 in 8.
Factors which increase the risk of breast cancer are having family members who have had breast cancer, especially if this was in a male or a woman before menopause. Smoking, being overweight, increased exposure to oestrogen such as getting your period early and going through menopause late also increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
Factors which reduce the risk of breast cancer are having an active lifestyle, drinking minimal alcohol, breast feeding and having your first child before the age of 30 years.
Mammograms or x rays of the breast are recommended from the ages of 50 – 74 years of age and can be accessed free of charge via BreastScreen Australia. Mammograms can detect changes in breast tissue much earlier than a lump is noticeable. Mammograms can also be accessed from the age of 40 years, and this is recommended for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. It is recommended that a mammogram be undertaken every 2 years.
As of April 2025, BreastScreen Australia also began reporting women’s breast density in an effort to help women understand their risk of breast cancer. There is a slightly increased risk of breast cancer in women with a higher breast density, independent of the fact that a cancer is slightly harder to find in denser breasts. Despite this, a mammogram remains the imaging modality of choice for women at average risk of breast cancer as it detects up to 98% of breast cancers.
Breast examination by your doctor is no longer recommended as an adjunct to mammogram as mammography is so accurate. Examination does not add any further benefit.
Mammograms have been shown to save lives.
Pap smears or Cervical Screening Test (CST)
Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus, of which there are multiple variants. As such, with the introduction of the HPV vaccine, Australia is well on the way to the elimination of cervical cancer. The aim is to have 90% of all 15-year-old girls fully vaccinated against HPV by 15 years of age. The vaccine has been so effective that we have been able to push back the start of the cervical screening age to 25 years and cervical screening is available for women between 25 – 75 years of age.
In Australia, cervical cancer is now the 13th most common cancer in women and is a much bigger problem in developing countries without access to the HPV vaccine or screening programs.
In Australia, a CST is only recommended under the age of 25 years (20 – 25 years) if a woman has been sexually active from 14 years and has not had the HPV vaccine. If a woman has a negative CST at 70 years they can cease screening early.
In the last few years there has now also been the development of the self-collected CST whereby a woman can collect her own CST from the vagina. This will test for the HPV virus. If it is negative she does not need to be tested for another 5 years; if it is positive she will need to return to her GP for a cervical collection to get cells from the cervix to be viewed under the microscope.
The wonderful thing about the CST is that it detects changes before cervical cancer has even had a chance to develop which means treatment is usually very straight forward and minimally invasive.
Bowel Cancer Screening.
Unfortunately, Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world. It is the 3rd most common cancer for all Australians.
There are some things you can do to minimise the risk of bowel cancer. These include avoiding or limiting regular alcohol intake, not smoking, maintaining healthy body weight, undertaking regular exercise and eating a healthy diet, with plenty of vegetables, fruit and whole grains while minimising intake of red meat, barbecued meat and processed meat.
Bowel cancer can often develop without causing any symptoms. However, one of things it does is cause microscopic amounts of blood to enter the stool or poo. This is the basis of the bowel cancer screening test. It looks for microscopic blood in the faeces. The reason why this is so important is because if bowel cancer is found early as is often the case with screening it is highly treatable and often curable.
The bowel cancer screening test is called the faecal occult blood test (FOBT) and is aimed Australians aged 45 – 74 years. This should be repeated every 2 years, and if blood is detected, a colonoscopy is recommended.
If you're unsure whether you're due for a screening test, or if you've received a test kit at home and aren't sure what to do next — we’re here to help. Our practice team can:
Check if you're up to date.
Help you book screening appointments.
Support you in completing home test kits.
Answer any questions you have.
A quick check of your screening status today can make a big difference tomorrow. Early detection saves lives. Ask us how we can help!
References
1. Royal Australian College of General Practice: Guidelines for Preventative Activities in General Practice: Breast Cancer. [https://www.racgp.org.au/clinical-resources/clinical-guidelines/key-racgp-guidelines/view-all-racgp-guidelines/preventive-activities-in-general-practice/cancer/breast-cancer] (5/05/25).
2. Minister For Health: NSW Government: Breast Screen now Information Women of their breast Density: [https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/breastscreen-nsw-now-informing-women-of-their-breast-density] (05/05/25)
3. Royal Australian College of General Practice: Guidelines for Preventative Activities in General Practice: Cervical Cancer. [https://www.racgp.org.au/clinical-resources/clinical-guidelines/key-racgp-guidelines/national-guide/cancer/cervical-cancer] (05/05/25)
4. Australian Government Department of Health: Who should get a cervical screening Test: [https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/national-cervical-screening-program/getting-a-cervical-screening-test/who-should-get-a-cervical-screening-test] (05/05/25)
5. Royal Australian College of General Practice: Guidelines for Preventative Activities in General Practice: Colorectal Cancer. [https://www.racgp.org.au/clinical-resources/clinical-guidelines/key-racgp-guidelines/view-all-racgp-guidelines/preventive-activities-in-general-practice/cancer/colorectal-cancer] (05/05/25)
6. Australian Government Department of Health: About the National Bowel Screening Program [https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/national-bowel-cancer-screening-program/about-the-national-bowel-cancer-screening-program} (05/05/25)