Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Aotearoa New Zealand
New Zealand has a free bowel screening programme available every 2 years to those aged 58* to 74 years.
For more information about bowel screening, visit www.timetoscreen.nz
Call: 0800 924 432
Email: info@bowelscreening.health.nz
*The age of eligibility is due to be lowered to 56 years, starting from 30 September 2026.
The government will be slowly rolling out the change as infrastructure and the workforce are improved. The government plans to further lower the age of eligibility in the future.
What is bowel screening?
Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in New Zealand.
Bowel screening tests look for early signs of cancer before it has developed and before you have any signs or symptoms. It can save your life.
Across most of New Zealand, free bowel screening is offered to those aged 58-74 years. The age people become eligible for bowel screening will be lowered to 56, starting from 30 September 2026. The age will likely be lowered further in the future.
Some people are at higher risk of bowel cancer. These include:
-
People with polyps (small growths in the bowel. Polyps are common and usually harmless, but some can develop into bowel cancer over time)
-
People with a close family relative who has had bowel cancer or polyps
You may need other tests/investigations, starting from a younger age. Talk to your doctor.
No screening test is perfect. There is a chance a cancer can be missed, or that it starts growing after a test. That is why the test is repeated every 2 years.
People at any age (including young people) should visit their doctor if they notice blood in their faeces (poo) or a change in their bowel habits.
The bowel screening test
When you become eligible for bowel screening, you will be sent a bowel screening test kit. You do the free test yourself at home.
Collect a tiny sample of your poo with a test stick, seal it in a tube and bag provided and send it to the laboratory.
The lab will look for very small amounts of blood. If blood is found, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer. Many conditions can cause you to have blood in your poo (such as haemorrhoids/piles), or it can indicate if you have polyps or cancer. Polyps are small growths that can turn into cancer over time. If blood is found, you will be sent for further testing.
If you have not been sent a kit
If you do not receive a bowel screening test kit within 2 months of becoming eligible, you can request one by calling 0800 924 432
Email: info@bowelscreening.health.nz
You can also contact the National Bowel Screening Programme if you do not want to take part in bowel screening.
Test results
You will get a letter with your test results within 3 weeks of returning your test kit. Contact the National Bowel Screening Programme if you do not receive your test results within 3 weeks.
Call: 0800 924 432
Email: info@bowelscreening.health.nz
Most people get a negative result; this means your sample did not contain blood and you will be due to repeat the test in 2 years if you are under 74 years.
A positive test means they have found blood in your poo. This does not necessarily mean you have cancer, but you will need further tests.
If you have a negative test but are still experiencing bowel symptoms, you may require further tests. If you have blood in your faeces (poo) or a change in your bowel habits, you should discuss your symptoms with your doctor.
Further testing after a positive result (colonoscopy)
If your test is positive, you will need further tests – most often a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is a procedure where a small camera is inserted into the bowel to look at the bowel lining. You will be given medicine to make you sleepy and comfortable. A colonoscopy can find cancer at an early stage or polyps (changes that may lead to cancer). Either of these can be removed during the procedure.
Early treatment is often successful. At early stages, the cancer usually hasn’t spread to other parts of the body and only a certain area of the body needs treatment. Also, often there are more treatment options for early cancers, while advanced cancer can often be more difficult to treat. Early detection saves lives.