Prevention campaigns and strategies aim to reduce the likelihood of developing cancer by promoting a healthy lifestyles at the community level. Examples of preventive campaigns include "I'm smarter than smoking", "Slip, Slop, Slap" and the "Go for 2&5" fruit and vegetable campaign. Successful campaigns are always a partnership between many stakeholder groups and need to be driven at the community level for greatest success. There are many resources across various media to promote and educate the broader public around healthy lifestyle choices and many are now available online. It is also important to access prevention and early detection interventions through you local health service and the current initiatives available to the general public are summarised below.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the name for a group of viruses that cause skin warts, genital warts and some cancers. The HPV vaccine is now available as an ongoing school-based program routinely delivered to girls in the first year of secondary school and
immunisation against HPV is achieved with a course of three doses of vaccine, over a 6 month period.
There are three population based cancer screening programs available to the general public;
Faecal Occult Blood Tests (FOBT) - Is used to test for early signs of bowel cancer. It involves taking 2-3 samples of separate bowel motions (Faeces) using a test kit. The FOBT looks for small amounts of blood that are invisible to the naked eye. Free testing will be offered to people over 50 years of age and an FOBT can be obtained from your GP.
Otherwise known as a mammogram, it is the radiological examination of the female breast with equipment and techniques designed to screen for cancer. Programs such as Breast Screen NT offer free breast screening to women in the NT between the ages of 50 - 69 years of age.
The procedure of collecting a sample of cells from the surface of the cervix and examining them under a microscope. This is to find any abnormal cells and/or changes in the cells that may lead to cancer. Also known as a Pap test. Your GP or local Health clinic will be able to perform a Pap test and is recommended every two years to all women who are sexually active or who are 18 years or over.
Smoking
Smoking causes an estimated 1 in 5 of all cancer deaths. For further information on options to cease smoking, please visit these pages:
