Bowel cancer screening

Bowel cancer screening is important as it is a way of finding bowel cancers| early, when they are small and there are no symptoms. The screening can also detect polyps, which are non-cancerous (benign) growths that may develop into cancer over time. Polyps can easily be removed, which reduces the risk of bowel cancer developing.

Bowel cancer screening has been introduced in the UK after studies showed that regular screening can reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16% (1 in 6).

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is being introduced gradually across England. The programme began in 2006, and by the end of 2009 it will be offered to all men and women aged between 60 and 69. In Scotland the programme started in 2007 and should be offered to all men and women aged between 50 and 74 by 2009. Wales and Northern Ireland have plans to roll-out screening towards the end of 2008/beginning of 2009.

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme

The first stage of bowel cancer screening is a faecal occult blood (FOB) test|. This test doesn’t diagnose bowel cancer, but can detect tiny amounts of blood, which you can’t normally see, in your bowel motions (faeces). Occult blood means blood that is not visible to the eye (hidden). Bowel cancers and polyps can sometimes bleed, which is why screening looks for blood in your bowel motions.

Men and women aged between 60 and 69 (50 and 74 in Scotland), who are registered with a GP, will automatically be offered an FOB test every two years. Those aged 70 and over (74 and over in Scotland) will not be invited automatically but are encouraged to request an FOB test kit. People younger than 60 (50 in Scotland) are not currently offered screening.

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme aims to invite those who will most benefit from bowel cancer screening. The risk of bowel cancer increases with age and 8 out of 10 (80%) people diagnosed with bowel cancer are over 60.  The changes that lead to bowel cancer usually take many years to develop, and if someone of 70 has a normal screening test then they are unlikely to get bowel cancer in later life. This is why the routine screening programmes have an upper age limit.