Australia's free screening for bowel cancer needs to be ramped up as more than 80 people die of the disease each week, experts say.
"We know that this cancer can be prevented or at least diagnosed early," says Gut Foundation president Professor Terry Bolin.
"We need to act now."
In an article in the latest issue of the Medical Journal of Australia, he and other experts say participation in the government's National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) needs significant improvement to reduce the incidence of the disease.
"Bowel cancer is one of only two preventable cancers but not enough people are being screened," Prof Bolin said.
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He told AAP the NBCSP should be carried out yearly, starting at age 40, and the letter inviting people to complete the free kit for analysis should contain clearer information.
The authors suggest another solution could be to include bowel cancer screening and prevention in a health-care package organised by GPs.
The NBCSP, based on a faecal occult blood test, was introduced in mid-2006 for people aged 55 and 65, and extended in 2009 to include people aged 50.
Only 36 per cent of the 1.4 million people sent the kit completed it for analysis between July 2013 and June 2014.
There was a second round of invitations for 55 and 66 year olds who participated five years earlier.
But, say the article's authors, the program is not due to be expanded to biennial testing until 2020.
Their suggested GP package would be based on annual testing with colonoscopy for people who receive a positive result and follow up with their doctor.
"Previous modelling by Deloitte has shown this would potentially save $2.6 billion, including financial and economic savings."
The report found annual testing was the most cost-effective.
