Key Facts:
- Images available HERE
- This August marks the 20th anniversary of Australia’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP).
- On this anniversary, Cancer Council Australia pays tribute to the screening program’s ‘founding father’ Professor James St John, who died in 2025.
- Professor St John dedicated over 40 years to developing and refining the faecal occult blood test used in the NBCSP.
- Research suggests the NBCSP could save 84,000 lives by 2040 if participation rates increase.
- Bowel cancer is Australia’s second biggest cancer killer, claiming around 100 lives per week, but if detected early, more than 90 per cent of cases can be treated successfully.
- The free at-home test kit is available to all Australians aged 45 to 74; those aged 50 to 74 receive a kit automatically every two years, whilst those aged 45 to 49 can request their first free kit at ncsr.gov.au/boweltest or by calling 1800 627 701.
As the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program marks its 20th anniversary this month, Cancer Council Australia pays tribute to the remarkable medical researcher who helped invent one of Australia’s most successful cancer screening initiatives.
Known as the ‘founding father’ of the program, Professor James St John dedicated much of his career to developing the bowel cancer screening test to reduce the impact of one of Australia’s deadliest cancers – a test that has been saving lives for 20 years.
Professor St John was a pioneering figure in cancer prevention and public health right up until his death in 2025. His efforts, alongside other researchers including Graeme Young, Finlay Macrae and Glenn Salkeld, were instrumental in the development, implementation and refinement of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP), which could save 84,000 lives by 2040 if participation rates increase.
With over 40 years dedicated to the cause, he became known as ‘the father of the program’, and his legacy continues to shape bowel cancer screening in Australia today.
Professor St John began his journey to help combat bowel cancer in the 1970s as Director of Gastroenterology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, working in parallel as a researcher and adviser to Cancer Council Victoria to find a simple way to detect the disease early. He helped develop the breakthrough test that looks for hidden blood in your stool — an early warning sign of bowel cancer.
With a career spanning over 40 years, Professor St John:
Was one of the earliest and most influential researchers in Australia to explore faecal occult blood testing as a population-level screening tool;
Published more than 190 peer-reviewed papers across his career, spanning bowel cancer screening, familial bowel cancer, the effect of aspirin on gastrointestinal blood loss and clinical gastroenterology;
Was a key contributor to landmark modelling research led by Dr Jie-Bin Lew and team on the projected impact of the NBCSP, that it could prevent over 92,000 new cases and 59,000 deaths from bowel cancer between 2015 and 2040 at current participation levels;
Was a long-time collaborator and active member of Cancer Council’s Cancer Screening and Immunisation Committee, co-authoring numerous high-impact studies on population screening strategies that informed clinical guidelines and protocols;
Was honoured as an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for distinguished service to medicine, medical research, gastroenterology, innovative public health cancer screening programs, and mentoring young clinicians;
Continued advocating for the program after retiring from clinical practice in 2001.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler, who launched the latest campaign for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program in partnership with Cancer Council Australia in June, paid tribute to Professor St John’s extraordinary contribution.
“Professor James St John helped establish a new, non-invasive way to detect bowel cancer all from the comfort of people’s own homes, an initiative that could save 84,000 lives by 2040. His legacy lives on through the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program and all the incredible researchers, scientists, nurses and doctors who continue this work to save Australian lives.
“We encourage all eligible Australians to put their health first and participate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program – taking the test could save your life.”
Cancer Council’s Deputy Chair of the Cancer Screening and Immunisation Committee, Kate Broun, paid tribute to her former colleague.
“Jim St John devoted more than five decades to a single, quietly radical idea: that you could find bowel cancer before it found you. He was one of the earliest researchers in Australia to pursue faecal occult blood testing as a population-level screening tool, and he never stopped pushing until that idea became a national program.”
Cancer Council Australia CEO Jacinta Reddan added: “Cancer Council honours Professor St John for his exceptional contributions to cancer control in Australia. His legacy lives on in the lives saved through early detection, the policies shaped by his research, and the generations of professionals he inspired. The best tribute we can pay him is to make sure every eligible Australian aged 45 to 74 does the test.
“Bowel cancer is Australia’s second biggest cancer killer and claims the lives of around 100 Australians every week. But if found early, more than 90 per cent of cases can be treated successfully. Our message is simple – bowel cancer waits for no one, so don’t wait to do the test.”
His son – also Professor James St John – followed in his father’s footsteps into medical research.
“My father’s decision to go into bowel cancer research was very personal,” he said. “After his mother-in-law died from the disease, he became frustrated with the lack of treatment options available and committed himself to finding better solutions. As a family, we were part of that journey—we’d even take part in his early research, following strict diets and testing his kits.
“He showed us that meaningful change takes time, patience, and the ability to navigate complex systems. Even after he ‘retired’, he kept working, collaborating with government to help roll out the bowel screening program across the country. He never really stopped—he was always driven to make things better.”
The free at-home test is simple, quick, and completed in the privacy of your own home. The test detects blood in the stool, which can be an early sign of bowel cancer — often before any symptoms appear.
If you are aged 50 to 74, a free test kit will be sent to your home every two years. If you are aged 45 to 49, you can request your first free kit at ncsr.gov.au/bowel test or by calling 1800 627 701. If you have any symptoms or are unsure whether screening is right for you, speak with your GP.
