We recently spoke with Alicia Dallisson, a Flinders University Medical Science Honours student working on a project with the Bowel Health Service team under the supervision of Associate Professor Erin Symonds.

With the support of an industry partner, Alicia and the team are trialling a new bowel cancer screening test that has the potential to significantly increase screening participation rates, leading to increased early detection of the disease.

Q: In simple terms, can you explain this new screening test?

Currently, the Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program uses a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), in which, while effective, only 40% of eligible adults participate. Common reasons for non-participation are the requirements to directly sample from stool, collect two samples from separate bowel motions, store samples in the fridge, and mail them for analysis.

Our team at the Bowel Health Service is conducting a study with a user-friendly alternative that could encourage more people to participate in screening, leading to increased earlier detection of bowel cancers and better health outcomes. The new test we are researching is a type of rapid antigen test (RAT), similar to the ones widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of collecting a stool sample like the current screening tests, individuals would use the toilet in the normal way, and then use a dropper to take a small sample of toilet water after the bowel motion, place a few drops on a test cassette (the RAT), and receive their result in just 10 minutes.

Q: That sounds like a game-changer! Where is this research currently?

Right now, this research is in the testing phase. We are inviting patients scheduled for a colonoscopy to use the test, allowing us to assess the test’s diagnostic accuracy for the different findings at colonoscopy.

While we are still in the early stages, we have already completed a consumer audit to gauge public perception. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with the majority of participants—both those with and without prior screening experience—preferring this new test over the current one.