The disease causes about 1200 deaths a year.
Dr Schultz said surgeons from overseas who came to New Zealand were surprised at the number of advanced tumours they saw.
While early stages of the disease may be symptomless, people often took no notice of changes in bowel habits or blood in their faeces.
Both of these symptoms could relate to other conditions, but should be investigated if they persisted for more than six weeks.
Dr Schultz and Otago-Southland Cancer Society health promotion co-ordinator Penelope Scott took the colossal colon, a fibreglass replica of the large bowel, to Columba College yesterday to help raise pupils' awareness of the disease.
Dr Schultz said people should also be aware they could be at increased risk of contracting the disease if they had family members who had suffered it.
Ms Scott said the links between diet and lifestyle and risk of the cancer had become clearer in recent years.
Often people did not realise the same measures which would help promote a healthy bowel would also help prevent other diseases such as diabetes.
There was also research under way into the possible links between bowel cancer and Vitamin D levels but the results of this would not be available for a couple of years.
