Based on the numbers, it's estimated 81 people will die from the disease.

However experts say a simple could change that, with regular bowel cancer screening helping to detect the disease early and in some cases, prevent it altogether by picking up changes before it develops.

The test can be done in the comfort of a person's home and the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program sends tests to eligible Australians aged between 50 and 74 every two years.

"Bowel cancer screening save lives and it can help people avoid the distress and burden of a cancer diagnosis," Professor David Currow, chief cancer and chief executive officer of the NSW Cancer Institute, said.

"Many people don't know that, similar to a cervical screening test, bowel cancer screening can often help detect pre-cancerous polyps that can be treated before cancer develops."

Bowel cancer remains Australia's second biggest cancer killer, with 1,830 people in NSW expected to die of bowel cancer this year. However, Professor Currow is confident that we can change this.

"When found early, bowel cancer can be successfully treated in more than 90 per cent of cases," Professor Currow said.

"In 2018, participants in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program had close to 1700 suspected and confirmed bowel cancers identified, along with more than 6,000 growths such as polyps, which had the potential to become cancerous.

"The removal of these lowers the risk of bowel cancer developing."

Currently in NSW, only 40.8 per cent of test kits sent out by the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program are returned.

WNSWLHD Director Cancer Services and Innovation Dr Ruth Jones, also urged men and women aged 50 to 74 to screen for bowel cancer.

"Around 81 people in WNSWLHD will lose their life to bowel cancer this year. My message to everyone in our community is do the test when it comes in the post. Don't put it off. This piece of mail could save your life. We need people to stop putting the test away in a drawer and forgetting about it," she said.

Over the past five years, the NSW Government, through the NSW Cancer Institute, has invested more than $25 million in bowel cancer, including for public awareness and education campaigns, and grants to local community and health organisations to promote bowel cancer screening.

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