Bowel screening success lower for more vulnerable people

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-08-23 00:01

New Zealand

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Samples returned to the national bowel screening programme sometimes can't be processed because of errors like missing consent forms or out-of-date kits, and this disproportionately affects some of the people most at risk from bowel cancer in Aotearoa. Over 7000 people whose first sample couldn't be screened didn't try again or continued to return untestable kits between 2012 and 2022. Deprivation was the factor most strongly associated with attempting and failing screening. However, even when this is accounted for, Pacific, Māori, and Asian people were more likely to attempt-but-fail screening than Europeans, as were men and younger participants compared to women and older participants. The study authors say this is especially concerning given Māori and Pacific people are more likely to be in deprived areas, to be diagnosed with bowel cancer younger and at more advanced stages, and to have poorer health outcomes. They recommend a service to check kits at drop-off to improve chances of successful screening and future participation.

Media release

From: Pasifika Medical Association Group

In New Zealand, bowel cancer is the second highest cause of cancer death, which is why a bowel cancer screening programme has been introduced. Some people attempt to engage one or multiple times with screening yet fail to ever obtain successful screening. In New Zealand, over 7,000 individuals fall into this category and it’s more likely in men, Māori, Pacific peoples and Asians or those living in high-deprivation areas. Because of this, we suggest drop-off location checking services for all participants are required in New Zealand.

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Research Pasifika Medical Association Group, Web page URL will go live after the embargo lifts

Journal/
conference: New Zealand Medical Journal

Organisation/s: Eastern Institute of Technology, Hawke's Bay Fallen Soldier's Memorial Hospital, The University of Auckland

Funder: N/A

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