Cancer screening push aims to save hundreds of lives

Louise Richardson says early detection for a high-risk person such as herself could save public money in the future. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Louise Richardson, whose family has suffered a heavy toll from bowel cancer, wonders how the health system will cope with a screening programme for the disease, after her own difficulties in being tested.

The Government has announced it will pay for the public health system - or private health providers - to undertake a mini-screening programme, potentially as a prelude to a national scheme which would start in 2015 at the earliest. Bowel cancer kills more than 1200 people a year.

Five people in the extended family of Miss Richardson, a 44-year-old Auckland journalist, have died from the disease - three grandparents, an uncle on her mother's side and an aunt on her father's side.

Then several years ago her brother was diagnosed with bowel cancer when aged 37, going on to have surgery and chemotherapy. He is now well and is given regular follow-up checks in the public health system.

Aware of her increased risk of cancer because of family history, Miss Richardson has had two colonoscopies - internal inspections for cancer and its precursor lesions - both of which declared her fine. The last was three years ago.

She shared the cost of each procedure, around $1500, with her health insurer, paying an excess fee of $500 herself, but now she wants to be checked in the public system.

As she is in the "potentially high risk" category, Miss Richardson was put on a four-month waiting list for genetic counselling, which she hopes will lead to colonoscopy. She expects to be given an appointment soon.

"In the interests of saving public money in future, I'd have thought early detection for a person in my position would be a priority."

Auckland DHB said yesterday that all patients referred for colonoscopy were seen within six months. Cases deemed urgent were seen within a week and the next highest priority group within six to 12 weeks.

Since government officials first contemplated a bowel cancer screening programme in the 1990s, colonoscopy capacity has been identified as a problem.

In announcing the $24 million the Government will provide for the pilot screening scheme, Health Minister Tony Ryall said of a potential national programme: "A significant constraint is the workforce to deal with expected future demand of colonoscopies."

It is hoped a national programme would cut deaths from bowel cancer by 36 per cent.

Mr Ryall said the ministry would seek expressions of interest from providers - public or private - to run the pilot covering at least 60,000 people aged 50 to 74.

A LIFE SAVER

* A bowel cancer screening programme could save several hundred lives a year.
*Pilot study being planned.
*National programme could start in 2015.
*People aged 50 to 74 would be screened.