HEALTH experts are urging Ipswich and West Moreton residents not to ignore the signs of bowel cancer, with new figures revealing diagnoses are expected to continue rising across the region.
As Australia marks Bowel Cancer Awareness Month this June, renewed calls are being made for residents to take advantage of free screening programs and seek medical advice early if symptoms appear.
According to publicly available data from the Cancer Data Explorer, 157 people in the West Moreton region were diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2023. That figure has been projected to have risen to 171 cases in 2024 and 178 cases in 2025.
The disease has already had a significant impact on local communities. Between 2014 and 2018, an average of 170 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer each year across West Moreton, while an average of 56 residents die from the disease annually.
Despite being one of Australia’s most commonly diagnosed cancers and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths, bowel cancer is also one of the most preventable and treatable cancers when detected early.
Health professionals say the challenge is that bowel cancer can develop slowly over many years without obvious symptoms, earning its reputation as a “silent” disease.
Experts stress that early detection remains one of the most powerful tools in reducing deaths from the disease.
A West Moreton Health spokesperson said it is committed to helping members of the local community live long, healthy lives, with nine out of 10 cases being successfully treated if diagnosed early.
