Tito Lauvao chats to Hawke's Bay Today reporter Michaela Gower about his brush with bowel cancer.
A Flaxmere man’s decision to take a test at home to check for bowel cancer has proven a lifesaver.
Tito Lauvao, who was 70 when he tested positive for cancer in 2019, said the test was the reason he can celebrate his 74th birthday next week.
Sceptical at first, it took convincing from his wife Fetuiai (Tui) Lauvao to do it. “Two weeks later, I received the results of the test and it came out positive,” he said.
“The doctor said to me, ‘It was very lucky that you did the test early, otherwise the cancer would have spread and become difficult to stop’.”
The bowel cancer self-test was rolled out by the National Bowel Screening Programme.
Across Hawke’s Bay, 74014 tests were sent in the mail to those aged between 64 and 70, and 45,020 were completed and returned.
The tests detected 116 cancer cases related to the bowel in Hawke’s Bay in 2023.
Tito Lauvao talks about his journey with bowel cancer that was discovered with a self-test kit. Photo / Paul Taylor
The former Samoan resident said he now often questions what would have happened if he hadn’t done the test considering the results, and had a friend who had since died from bowel cancer.
“I would strongly advise those who are still thinking of doing the test to just do it, it won’t hurt.”
Tito Lauvao with his wife Fetuiai (Tui) Lauvao. Photo / Paul Taylor
National bowel screening programme clinical lead Dr Susan Parry said she was impressed with Hawke’s Bay’s results.
She said symptoms for bowel cancer often don’t present in the early stages of the disease, so using the self-testing kit at home is a brilliant preventative measure that can catch potential cancer or cancer-causing polyps early on.
“The residents and population have to be congratulated for that, because they recognise the programme has the potential to save lives.
“We had over 1943 positive results from Hawke’s Bay and we have performed 1671 colonoscopies.”
Parry said a positive result doesn’t always end in a cancer diagnosis.
“Overall, this programme is working, and in due course, it will save lives.”
The programme recently passed the mark of one million self-test kits returned nationally, and it is hoped that number will continue to rise.
She said if anyone does present with symptoms, they should see a GP immediately.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
