Brett Morrison is calling for the Government to urgently establish a national screening programme for bowel cancer. Photo / George Novak
Brett Morrison is calling for the Government to urgently establish a national screening programme for bowel cancer. Photo / George Novak
The Government is failing families by not fast-tracking a national screening programme for bowel cancer, says Tauranga widower Brett Morrison.
A new report has found New Zealand lagging behind other developed countries in the early detection and treatment of bowel cancer - the most common cancer in the country.
More than 1200 Kiwis die from the cancer each year. Mr Morrison's 32-year-old wife Sarah died on May 26 this year, 10 months after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Mr Morrison said he was convinced that if there was a national screening programme in place, his wife who was already at Stage 4 when diagnosed, would be alive today.
The findings of the Presentation, Investigation, Pathways, Evaluation and Treatment (Piper) project report was presented at a public seminar in Auckland on Wednesday.
The findings showed about 30 per cent of bowel cancer patients first learned they had the disease when they were presented acutely to hospital, compared to 20 per cent in Britain.
Of this, 24 per cent of Kiwis were already at Stage 4.
Mr Morrison said his brave wife fought until the end and despite chemotherapy, private treatments and her positive attitude, the cancer diagnosis came too late. The cancer had already spread to her liver.
"They [the Government] make a big issue about the road toll and the huge social cost but when it comes to bowel cancer it doesn't seem to get the same urgency, despite more than 1200 people dying a year from this disease. That's more than three people a day.
"Cancer rips families apart and I don't understand why screening for it is not given greater priority," he said.
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman had indicated the beginning of the national programme could be in place from early 2017, but Mr Morrison said that was too long to wait.
"Almost 2500 people could have died. That's 2500 kids losing their mums and dads or 2500 families losing their loved ones," Mr Morrison said.
Brett and Sarah.
The Piper project's principal investigator Professor Michael Findlay, who was Mrs Morrison's principal oncologist, told the Bay of Plenty Times earlier detection was the key to improved patient outcomes.
Ultimately, it could mean the patient needed fewer treatments and they may not even need to have chemotherapy, which was less toxic for people, he said.
Bowel Cancer New Zealand chairwoman Mary Bradley said the research showed the Government was failing New Zealanders.
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