AIHW - National Cancer Screening - Participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (PHN) 2014-2017

This dataset presents the footprint of participation statistics in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) for people aged 50 to 74. The NBCSP began in 2006. It aims to reduce morbidity and mortality from bowel cancer by actively recruiting and screening the eligible target population for early detection or prevention of the disease. The data spans the years of 2014-2017 and is aggregated to 2015 Department of Health Primary Health Network (PHN) areas, based on the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). Cancer is one of the leading causes of illness and death in Australia. Cancer screening programs aim to reduce the impact of selected cancers by facilitating early detection, intervention and treatment. Australia has three cancer screening programs:

BreastScreen Australia

National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP)

National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP)

The National cancer screening programs participation data presents the latest cancer screening participation rates and trends for Australia's 3 national cancer screening programs. The data has been sourced from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) analysis of National Bowel Cancer Screening Program register data, state and territory BreastScreen Australia register data and state and territory cervical screening register data. For further information about this dataset, visit the data source:Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - National Cancer Screening Programs Participation Data Tables. Please note:

AURIN has spatially enabled the original data using the Department of Health - PHN Areas.

Participation rates represent the percentage of people invited to screen through the NBCSP during the relevant 2-year period, who returned a completed screening test within that period or by 30 June of the following year. The number of individuals invited to screen excludes those who deferred or opted out without completing their screening test.

PHN areas were assigned to NBCSP invitees using an SA1 to PHN correspondence. Those invitees without reliable SA1 details were mapped with a postcode to PHN correspondence instead, which may lead to some minor inaccuracies in results.

Some invitee SA1 codes and postcodes cannot be attributed to a PHN. These invitees were included in an 'Unknown' group where applicable.

Some postcodes cross PHN boundaries, leading to slight inaccuracies.

The time period of some PHN data presented is prior to the initiation of PHNs, which were in established in June 2015.

Biennial screening for those aged 50-74 is not fully rolled out. During the time period reported, the specific ages invited within the 50-74 age range included 50, 54, 55, 58, 60, 64, 65, 68, 70, 72 and 74.

These results calculate participation rates using the new NBCSP performance indicator specifications. This indicator now measures a 2-year invitation period and also excludes those who opted off or suspended participation. Therefore, these results cannot be compared to rates reported prior to 2014.

NBCSP participation rates per area are not related to bowel cancer incidence rates.

The 2014-2015 period covers 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2015, the 2015-2016 period covers 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016, and the 2016-2017 period covers 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017.

The number of people in different PHNs may not sum to 'Australia' total due to rounding.

PHN205 Murray includes Albury, NSW.