South Aucklander David Broughton, 66, is thankful to his wife for pushing him to do the free bowel screening test. “I’d been feeling dizzy but didn’t have any other symptoms. My wife said ‘just get it done; you never know’,” he says.

The test came back positive and a colonoscopy revealed David had stage-three bowel cancer. He went on to have surgery and a course of chemotherapy.

David says he’s grateful to the bowel screening programme for saving his life and is encouraging others, particularly Māori and Pacific people, to do the test.

“When you get the test in the mail, don’t think twice. Do it!”