Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer related death in Australia.1 It is, however, one of the cancers that can be picked up early and there are ways to reduce your risk.
Here are eight tips to reducing your risk of bowel cancer:2,3,4
- Get screened
- Australia has a National Bowel Cancer Screening Program where adults 50-74 are mailed out a free test kit every 2 years
- Adults aged 45-49 can request to start their screening early
- You can also request screening through your GP
- The test looks for the presence of blood in your stool and if positive, it is recommended to follow up with a colonoscopy to look for polyps (growths in the bowel) or cancer
- Those with cancers detected through this process have a 40% lower risk of death than those with cancers who hadn’t done the screening
- If you have a strong family history of bowel cancer, you may need earlier or additional testing and it’s best to discuss this with your doctor
- Stop or reduce smoking
- Heavy smoking (2 packs per day) increases the risk of bowel cancer by 40%
- Reduce your alcohol intake
- Having even 2 standard drinks of alcohol per day can increase your risk of bowel cancer
- Limit your red and processed meat intake
- Red meat (beef, lamb, goat) and processed meat (sausages, bacon, ham, salami etc) are linked with an increased risk of bowel cancer
- Lean red meat contains healthy nutrients like iron, B12. Zinc and protein, but should not be consumed more than 350-500g per week (cooked weight)
- Processed meat should be eaten as infrequently as possible
- Maintain adequate dietary fibre
- High fibre diets can maintain good gut health and reduce the risk of bowel cancer
- Aim for 90g per day of wholegrains, 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables per day
- Maintain adequate dairy intake
- 400g of dairy products per day reduces the risk of bowel cancer by 15%. The guidelines recommend 2.5 serves per day
- If you don’t eat dairy, speak to your doctor to ensure you are getting enough calcium in your diet
- Incorporate adequate physical activity in your routine
- Regular physical activity can reduce cancer by 16%
- Aim daily aerobic activity of 30 minutes or more and limit time sitting or lying down
- Maintain a healthy body weight and waist circumference
- Being of a higher weight can increase the risk of bowel cancer by 11%
Improving your lifestyle and partaking in the free bowel cancer screening program can significantly reduce your risk of bowel cancer.
References:
- Cancer Australia. Bowel cancer (Colorectal cancer) in Australia statistics. Cancer Australia. Updated December 18, 2025. Accessed August 22, 2026. https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/cancer-types/bowel-cancer/bowel-cancer-colorectal-cancer-australia-statistics
- Wong, B. 7 ways to reduce your risk of bowel cancer. Cancer Council. Updated June 1, 2021. Accessed August 22, 2026. https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/news/7-ways-to-reduce-your-risk-of-bowel-cancer/
- Bowel Cancer Australia. Modifiable Risk Factors for Bowel Cancer. Bowel Cancer Australia. Accessed August 22, 2026. https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/bowel-cancer/modifable-risk-factors/
- Cancer Research UK. Risks and causes of bowel cancer. Cancer Research UK. Updated January 3, 2025. Accessed August 22, 2026. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/bowel-cancer/risks-causes
