The proportion of people who returned a valid National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) screening test in a defined 12-month period and were diagnosed with a screen-detected colorectal cancer, measured 12 months after the defined period.

The NBCSP aims to maximise the early detection of colorectal cancer in the target population.

This can be achieved by detecting cases of colorectal cancer before a person has symptoms, enabling early intervention. The cancer detection rate is a key indicator of program effectiveness, especially when comparing this rate to the known colorectal cancer incidence rate in the target population. Monitoring the cancer detection rate by various stratifications may also reveal emerging positive or negative trends that need to be investigated and rectified if necessary.

To reduce the effect of any lag time between invitation, positive screen, diagnostic assessment and histopathology, this indicator includes all those who screened in the defined period, not all those invited in the defined period (who had a positive screen).