What you need to know about the NHS bowel cancer screening expansion
Thousands more over 50s will be sent a home-testing kit that can help to detect signs of bowel cancer, as the NHS expands its screening programme in England.
Around 850,000 more people will now be included in the screening programme, with those aged 50 and 52 receiving kits by the end of March.
People aged 51 and 53 will need to wait until their next birthday but will then be posted a kit.
The faecal immunochemical test (FIT) checks for blood in a stool sample, with people collecting their own sample at home before posting it back to NHS labs in a prepaid return envelope. Results are then sent out to people, along with any information about further tests, if required.
Heather James, the mother of Dame Deborah James who died of bowel cancer aged 40 in 2022, told the Sun: "Deborah will be up there grinning from ear to ear, jumping for joy. But I know she would want to urge anyone who gets a screening invite to take the test. She was all too aware that many people ignore the invite and put off their test, a decision that can prove fatal."
What is the current NHS bowel cancer screening programme?
The FIT home testing kit is already made available through the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme to everyone aged 54 to 74. People aged 75 and over can request a kit by phoning the NHS bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
Since the FIT kit was introduced into the screening programme in April 2019, national uptake has increased from 59.2% to 65.2%.
Experts say the FIT kit is more convenient to use than the previous home test as it only requires one sample which can be done at home and is then returned in a sealed bottle.
Due to the increased uptake with the FIT kit, more cancers are now being detected than when the previous test was used.
Why is bowel cancer screening so important?
People are much more likely to survive bowel cancer or have successful treatment if the disease is caught before it has spread.
Steve Russell, national director for vaccinations and screening at NHS England, said: "Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and the expansion of the NHS bowel cancer screening programme to those aged 50 will help to spot signs of bowel cancer sooner, and potentially save thousands of lives.
"We are seeing positive uptake of the home-testing FIT kits, with over two-thirds of those eligible returning their tests, but this drops off in the lower age groups and we want to see even more people taking up the offer.
"While taking a test for bowel cancer may be the last thing you’re thinking about as you enter the new year, it could save your life, so if you’ve got a FIT kit hiding in a drawer at home, I would encourage you to return it quickly as you can."
While most people won't have signs of cancer, if the test does detect anything people can be sent on for further tests and treatment.
Data suggests that around 2% of people who have the FIT test will need further investigation.
Dr Lisa Wilde, director of research and external affairs at Bowel Cancer UK, said: “Screening is one of the best ways to spot bowel cancer at an early stage, when it is treatable and curable.
“In fact, more than nine in 10 people survive bowel cancer when it’s diagnosed at the earliest stage.”
Why are rates of bowel cancer on the rise in younger people?
Rates of bowel cancer in young people are rising more sharply in England than in many other countries around the world, a recent study found.
Early onset bowel cancer in those aged 25 to 49 is increasing globally, but England is among the countries with the biggest rise, averaging a 3.6% increase every year, researchers calculated.
Studies are ongoing to work out why more younger people are developing bowel cancer, but experts believe poor diet, more ultra-processed foods, obesity and a lack of exercise are playing a role.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “This flagship study reveals that increasing rates of early onset bowel cancer, affecting adults aged 25 to 49, is a global issue."
Data provided by the charity up to 2019 suggests bowel cancer has seen a 52% increase in incidence rates for adults aged 25 to 49 since the early 1990s.
There are around 2,600 new bowel cancer cases in people aged 25-49 in the UK every year and around 44,100 new cases among all ages.
Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: “Thousands of people in England develop bowel cancer each year, and there are concerns that it is becoming more common for people in their 50s.
“There is no need to feel embarrassed about poo – the test is quick and simple to use and can detect signs of bowel cancer, often before symptoms appear, so please do return your FIT kit if you are sent one."
Bowel cancer signs
Signs of bowel cancer include:
stomach pain lasting three weeks or more
blood in stools
diarrhoea or constipation for no obvious reason lasting three weeks or more
a feeling of not having emptied the bowels after going to the toilet
bottom pain
loose, pale or greasy stools.
Anyone with symptoms of bowel cancer is urged to contact their GP and not wait for a test.
Bowel cancer risk factors
While it isn't known what causes most bowel cancers, some factors increase your risk of getting the disease. Though some are factors you can’t do anything about, age and genetics, for example, there are some lifestyle changes you can make to help lower your bowel cancer risk.
According to Bowel Cancer UK you are more at risk of getting bowel cancer if you have one or more of the following risk factors:
Aged over 50
A strong family history of bowel cancer
A history of non-cancerous growths (polyps) in your bowel
Longstanding inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
Type 2 diabetes
An unhealthy lifestyle
Additional reporting PA.
Read more about bowel cancer:
Bowel cancer is on the rise in under-50s – here’s what might explain the trend (The Conversation, 5-min read)
My hidden bowel cancer was uncovered by an allergic reaction to a tablet (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
Woman cancer-free after receiving UK’s first liver transplant for advanced bowel cancer (Independent, 4-min read)
