MILLIONS more people are benefiting from life-saving bowel screening compared to a decade ago – according to the NHS.
Almost seven million people had bowel screening from the NHS in the last fiscal year, compared to around 4.7million in 2014/15.
Since bowel screening started, two decades ago, the NHS has caught 70,000 cancers with almost 85 million people screened.
A further 270,000 people have benefited from regular surveillance after screening highlighted they could be vulnerable to developing the disease.
Bowel screening was introduced in 2006, for people in their 60s, and the test is now available to people aged 50 to 74.
Only half of the eligible recipients, aged 60 to 74, were screened two decades ago but that figure rose to more than seven in 10 people last year.
The NHS is urging more people to get tested.
It has never been easier to get screened, with the NHS sending out around 8.7million home-testing kits a year.
The faecal immunochemical test (FIT), checks for blood in a small stool sample, which can be a sign of bowel cancer.
FIT kits require a poo sample be put in a small tube and returned it by post to the NHS.
The National Cancer Plan, published at the start of the year, committed to 17,000 earlier diagnoses by 2035 – to save almost 6,000 lives with home-testing kits.
Grace, 54, who was diagnosed after a FIT test, said: “I truly believe the NHS bowel cancer screening programme saved my life. I’m 54, fit and healthy – a non-smoker and non-drinker who regularly swims and lifts weights – and I had absolutely no symptoms.
“My husband had completed his screening kit around six months before mine arrived in the post, in August. His result was normal, so when I sent mine off, I expected the same outcome. My FIT test had come back positive, with traces of blood found in my stool. I would need a colonoscopy.
“I still feel very shocked about the diagnosis and having to deal with the stoma is a constant reminder. But I was very lucky that it was found early and has been dealt with.
“So my message to anyone who receives a bowel cancer screening kit is simple: please do it. You have nothing to lose, and it could be the most important post you receive.”
England’s top cancer doctor has also urged people to get tested when the NHS invites them to.
Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England said: “The NHS has transformed bowel screening over the last two decades, making it easier than ever before for people’s cancer to be picked up, and the sooner it is spotted the easier it is to treat.
“And thanks to the fantastic work of [late cancer podcaster] Dame Deborah James, we’ve seen a big jump in the number of people taking up the offer of bowel screening.
“Bowel cancer has become more common in recent years, and anyone aged between 50 and 74-years-old should be regularly tested, so the NHS will send you a test when you’re eligible that takes just minutes to do from the comfort of your home. There is no need to be embarrassed – a simple poo test could be the difference between enjoying many more years with your loved ones or having your life cut short by bowel cancer.
“For anyone experiencing symptoms such as blood in their poo or severe stomach pain, no matter their age, you can speak to your GP and get it checked out as soon as possible, as well as completing your screening test when invited.”
