Cancer runs in Eve Olssen's family.
Both her father and grandfather developed bowel cancer before the age of 43.
Doctors thought there may have been a genetic aspect to the pattern, and when Eve was 16 she was offered a screening test.
Early testing revealed Eve was positive for Lynch Syndrome, an inherited genetic condition that increases a person's risk of developing cancer.
"I do consider myself very lucky — not to have Lynch Syndrome — but lucky to have been diagnosed with it and be able to access the tests that can go on to help me," Eve said.
"I think that everyone should be able to access those tests."
Eve said that screening tests are key in opening up dialogue about diseases like cancer.
"Lynch syndrome isn't particularly well known but having this test available might mean that people are looking at that and thinking about their own family history of cancer," Eve said.
"Even if they're starting conversations in their family, that goes on to have downstream effects that could be really, really valuable to people."
Monash University leads world-first screening program
Providing free, accessible DNA screening for cancer and disease forms the mission statement of a world-first Monash University program.
DNA Screen is a free saliva test being offered to young Australians which identifies genes that increase the risk of certain cancers and heart disease.
In particular, researchers are looking for 10 genes which can lead to increased risk of Lynch Syndrome, hereditary cancers and genetic high cholesterol.
It's estimated about 1.3 per cent of those tested will be found to be at high risk.
Co-lead for the project Jane Tiller said there are thousands of Australians who may be at high risk of these conditions without realising it.
"Many people don't have a family history or they don't know their family history," Ms Tiller said.
"It's a ticking time bomb that they're sitting on that they don't know about."
The screening will be able to detect changes to the BRCA genes, which have been found to impact a person’s chances of developing breast cancer.
"People who are found with one of these [genetic] changes will go into high-risk screening," Ms Tiller said.
"That means they'll be able to have screening for breast cancer frequently and at a higher level than someone in the general population."
The nationally collaborative project will link researchers and clinicians around the country to screen at least 10,000 people between 18 and 40.
While cancer screening programs exist in Australia, they generally target elderly people more at risk of developing cancer.
It means screening can be prohibitively expensive for ineligible Australians.
"At least when I was tested, it was if you met a certain criteria you'd be able to access it because I guess it's quite expensive," Eve said.
"To have it available to everyone … irrespective of their financial situation is really good because at the end of the day it's saving lives."
Researchers hope the pilot DNA Screen project is funded by the government and turned into a permanent national programme.
Top doctor backs accessible screening for Australians
AMA Victoria President Roderick McRae said the association was in support of any measure that provided patients with more information about their circumstances.
Dr McRae said testing was crucial even in people who had no family history of disease, due to the possibility of random mutation in genes.
"A genetic mutation can occur, so anybody standing here could have a mutation they don't know about," Dr McRae said.
"If there's an ability to detect it, the sooner the better.
"If you find any condition that might develop into a lump, you'd rather find it when it's the size of a pea than the size of a watermelon."
He said if the program was successful, it should be considered for an Australia-wide rollout similar to the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.
"If it provides useful information and people are satisfied with it, then it ought to flow right across the nation," he said.
