Cancer screening

Cancer screening is the performance of tests on apparently well people in order to detect pre-cancerous or cancerous conditions at an earlier stage when they can be easily treated.

Structured national programs are currently in place for breast cancer, cervical cancer and bowel cancer screening. They are BreastScreen Australia providing mammography services, the National Cervical Screening Program providing Pap smear tests for eligible women, and the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. For further information on the screening programs, see www.cancerscreening.gov.au.

The Health Registers and Cancer Monitoring Unit at the AIHW has been publishing annual monitoring reports on the performance of the BreastScreen Australia Program (see breast cancer screening) and the National Cervical Screening Program (see cervical screening) since 1996-1997. The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program commenced in August 2006 and the AIHW has been contracted by the Department of Health and Ageing to monitor the screening pathway from invitations to participate in the Program being sent by Medicare Australia through to clinical investigation outcomes (see bowel screening).

To view breast screening, cervical screening and bowel screening reports and related publications visit our Publications portal.