Bowelscan is essentially a public awareness program seeking to increase community knowledge of bowel cancer and its symptoms.

The project involves the distribution to the public of a simple test kit in which is collected small specimens for analysis.

Cancer of the bowel is the commonest internal cancer to affect men and women in western society. Over 9,000 Australians will be diagnosed as having bowel cancer this year and over 4,500 will die of the disease.

Rotarians believe the program has saved at least two lives in Canowindra since its commencement.

"One person put it up on the mantleshelf and promptly forgot about it until the next year, never completing the test," said Canowindra Rotarian Bruce Wright.

Seeing it on the mantleshelf, though, acted as a reminder to purchase and actually complete the test the following year, which literally saved their life.

"If they taken the test the year before, they might not have gone through the same degree of treatment and disease advancement," Mr Wright said.

This year, Canowindra Rotary is

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targeting people over the age of 40, who are the age group most at risk.

Mr Wright stressed not just the need to initially purchase the Bowelscan kit, but to complete and return it for analysis.

"We have done this every year and the only disappointing aspect is last year we only had three quarters of the kits sold returned last year.

"This is an unintrusive testing facility, and something which you should not be embarrassed about."

Both sexes will be targeted, as results from last year showed almost even spread of positive results between men and women.

Rotary Bowelscan Test kits will be available from Rotarians, who will be manning Gaskill St on Saturday, March 3 and from individual Rotarians the week after.

From then on, they will be available from Canowindra Pharmacy, which is also acting as the return point for tests to be sent on to pathology.