Home testing kits that can help detect the early stages of the UK's second biggest cancer killer are being rolled out for the first time in England.
As the second biggest cancer killer in the UK, almost 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year - but if caught early it can be treated. As part of a major expansion of the life-screening programme, people aged 58 will be automatically sent a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) once eligible.
These can detect early signs of bowel cancer by precisely recording the presence of any blood in just a tiny sample of poo. The move is the latest stage in the phased rollout for people aged 50 and over.
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National Clinical Director for Cancer Professor Peter Johnson, said: "We are expanding the bowel cancer screening programme in a phased approach to make sure we can diagnose bowel cancer as early as possible, often before symptoms appear – potentially saving thousands of lives with a simple and convenient test.
"I would encourage anyone who is sent a kit to return their tests as quickly as you can, because this can detect early signs of bowel cancer and ensure that anyone affected can get treatment for the disease sooner, while making it more accessible for people, including vulnerable groups, to do at home.
"It is still important that anyone experiencing symptoms, such as blood in their poo or severe stomach pain, no matter their age, should speak to their GP as soon as possible – so please don’t be prudish about poo and get checked if you have any worrying signs."
Those newly eligible will receive an invitation letter and will be sent their test with full instructions and prepaid return packaging. The ECHO has previously reported many devastating instances in which bowel cancer has been diagnosed to people of a variety of different ages.
One mum-of-five said she was feeling bloated all the time but brushed it off as nothing. But when the 39-year-old spotted blood in her stool she visited her GP and was eventually diagnosed with bowel cancer, which was said to be terminal.
23-year-old Amelia Grace first went to the doctors with her partner Jay Potter, 26, in January 2020, to undergo fertility checks in the hope of starting a family together. But she eventually began to experience severe tummy pains, leading to an eventual bowel cancer diagnosis.
Bravely sharing her story with the ECHO, she wanted to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms to watch out for. A similar story was shared by Ros Atkins who was given a terminal diagnosis after she began to get pains in her side.
Almost nine in 10 people with bowel cancer are aged 60 or over and so the introduction of the home testing kits aims to detect cancer early to increase treatment success. People concerned that they may have missed their invitation can call the free bowel cancer screening helpline for advice on 0800 707 60 60.
According to the NHS, the symptoms of bowel cancer can be subtle and do not necessarily make you feel ill. Many people with symptoms do not have bowel cancer, but if symptoms persist for three weeks you should contact your GP.
Red flag symptoms include:
- a persistent change in bowel habit – pooing more often, with looser, runnier poos and sometimes tummy (abdominal) pain
- blood in the poo without other symptoms of piles (haemorrhoids) – this makes it unlikely the cause is haemorrhoids
- abdominal pain, discomfort or bloating always brought on by eating – sometimes resulting in a reduction in the amount of food eaten and weight loss
- Constipation, where you pass harder stools less often, is rarely caused by serious bowel conditions.
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