Rotary kitted out to fight bowel cancer

By Shaun Inguanzo
DANDENONG Rotarians are combining with local pharmacies to help prevent bowel cancer.
The Rotary Club of Dandenong has this week launched its Bowelscan detection kits, available from Dandenong pharmacies so residents can check for symptoms of bowel cancer, which kills more than 5000 Australians each year.
Rotarian Trevor Harding said the kit would be available until 24 May and samples would be sent to a pathology clinic where doctors will check for signs of bowel cancer.
“This is a great opportunity for people to take part in a very easy test in their own home that has the potential to save lives,” he said.
Mr Harding said many people were unaware they had early signs of bowel cancer, but the kit was great at detecting signs.
“I had one fellow while I was sitting at the (Dandenong) Plaza who came up to me and said ‘thanks for saving my life’.
“They had to operate and he had part of his bowel removed and was fighting fit.”
People at risk of bowel cancer are generally older than 40, have a family history of the disease, a low-fibre diet with lots of meat, and a problem with constipation.
A Bowelscan kit costs $6 and is available from Terry White Chemist in Dandenong Plaza, Dandenong Central Pharmacy, on the corner of Walker and Langhorne Streets, and Chemist Warehouse on Lonsdale Street.