Media campaigns improve bowel cancer screening rates
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GENEVA — A multiyear mass media campaign led to significantly higher bowel cancer screening rates among individuals at high risk for the disease, according to study results presented at World Cancer Congress.
Tailored initiatives designed to reach specific subgroups of the population also appeared effective, results showed.
Rationale and methods
“Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in Australia,” Kate Broun, head of cancer screening, early detection and immunization at Cancer Council Victoria in Australia, said during a presentation. “In Victoria specifically, there are more than 1,300 deaths and 3,500 cases diagnosed each year. However, we know that if found early, 90% of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated.”
Australia’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Program began in 2009 in response to the increasing impact of the malignancy on the country’s population.
“Although the program was rolled out incrementally, it now targets people aged 50 to 74 years, with at-home blood test kits disseminated to individuals in this age group,” Broun said. “Despite its benefits, participation in screening in Victoria is still quite low. Between 2015 and 2016, only 41.9% of Victorians invited to screen actually participated in screening.”
Broun and colleagues sought to increase participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program to 60% among those aged between 50 and 74 years.
They examined the effect of four tailored media campaigns implemented between 2017 and 2021. The effort included in-language advertising and grassroots community-led grant activities that targeted eligible individuals.
Key findings
Results showed a significant increase in bowel cancer screening participation among individuals aged 50 to 74 years.
Tailored initiatives for multicultural groups also appeared effective, with in-language print, radio and social media advertising reaching 138,000 Arabic-speaking individuals and 250,000 Mandarin-speaking individuals. Researchers reported 6% to 26% increases in bowel screening rates in these populations.
“Modeling also showed investment in interventions to increase bowel screening participation is both life- and cost-saving,” Broun said. “Every $1 invested in the 2017 media campaign will return an estimated $10.50 in health care savings, with 319 cancers prevented and 183 lives saved within the next 40 years. Further modeling demonstrated that an expanded campaign delivered nationally over 4 years would return $15.80 per $15 spent, preventing more than 8,000 cancers and saving 4,300 lives over the life of the cohort.”
Implications
All four media campaigns appeared equally effective at reaching under-screened targeted groups, and this led to federal government funding of two national campaigns in 2019 and 2022, Broun said.
“It is clear that we cannot sustain the increases in bowel cancer screening rates without campaign activity because once a campaign was off air, screening rates returned to pre-campaign levels,” she said. “Sustained effort is needed throughout the year and for a longer period, which will allow us to motivate even more individuals to screen and ultimately save more lives. How we achieve this with the same level of investment [will be] our challenge over the next 3 years.”
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Broun K, et al. Abstract 1169. Presented at: World Cancer Congress; Oct. 18-20, 2022; Geneva.
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