Only 37 per cent of people surveyed by the Cancer Institute NSW knew that bowel cancer was one of the most prevalent forms of cancer among females.

The findings were a worry, the institute warned, considering bowel cancer prevalence was second only to breast cancer among Australian women.

Respondents considered bowel cancer more of a male disease, with 69 per cent recognising the disease as one of the most common cancers to affect men, found the phone survey of 787 people in NSW.

Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute Professor David Currow said many people didn't realise bowel cancer killed around 34 people each week in NSW, more than prostate cancer, breast cancer or melanoma.

"We need women to be aware of the fact that it is the second-most common cancer, behind breast cancer, and be vigilant with their bowel cancer screening," he said.

Bowel cancer was also the second biggest cancer killer after lung cancer overall, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The survey findings prompted a stark warning from the Cancer Institute NSW, which urged women to get screened for bowel cancer to minimise their risk.

"We're concerned that if women are unaware of how common bowel cancer is, they may also underestimate their level of risk, which is why the institute is reminding everyone about the importance of taking part in bowel screening," Professor Currow said.

By 2021, 6777 new cases of bowel cancer will be diagnosed in NSW, and 1903 will die from the disease, the latest projections showed.

Almost all survey respondents (98 per cent) recognised that early treatment increased the chances of survival, and 94 per cent agreed testing was important even in people with no symptoms.

Yet just 34.5 per cent of people eligible to be screened for bowel cancer in NSW complete the test sent to them, the latest National Bowel Cancer Screening Program data shows.

Professor Currow said an "enormous stigma associated with bowel cancer" may also be a factor behind the state's low screening rates, with the survey finding over one third of people believe bowel cancer is "dirty and embarrassing".

"We need to encourage everyone, men and women, aged 50-74 to take the test as soon as it arrives in the post," said Professor Currow of the free service, which mails out kits to people aged 50 to 74.

"Unlike many other cancers, bowel cancer is one of the most treatable cancers when diagnosed at an early stage.

If screening rates reached 60 per cent nationally, up to 90,000 people could survive bowel cancer over the next four years, the institute predicted.

The survey also found respondents were in the dark when it came to lifestyle factors that could increase their risks of bowel cancer.

Just three per cent nominated being overweight and obese as a known risk factor, and ten per cent knew too much processed red meat could increase their risk.