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Millions of people ‘putting lives at risk’ by skipping bowel cancer screening

Written by on 05/09/2018

Millions of people are “putting their lives unnecessarily at risk” by not taking part in a bowel cancer screening, a new study suggests.

According to figures published in the European Journal of Cancer, the number of people in England who took part in their first screening aged between 60 and 64 reduced from 53% in 2010 to 49% in 2015.

That is despite those aged between 60 and 74 being sent a free bowel cancer screening kit in the post every two years as part of the English Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.

It requires small stool samples to be taken on three separate days and posted back to the bowel screening unit in specially sealed envelopes – but experts have admitted “there is an urgent need to revolutionise” the system.

Dr Christian von Wagner of University College London, which examined data from 4.4 million 60 to 64-year-old men and women who were sent a home test kit between 2010 and 2015, described the trend as “very worrying”.

The research made especially concerning reading for the men who took part, with just 47% taking up their screening invite, compared to 56% of the women.

People from more deprived areas were also less likely to participate in the scheme, which found that 41% of people from poorer places took part compared to 57% from more affluent areas.

Dr Von Wagner said: “The fact fewer and fewer people are returning their kits, and that inequalities in the system are widening, is very worrying.

“There is an urgent need to revolutionise bowel cancer screening because the earlier cancer is spotted, the more lives can be saved.

“Research has shown the introduction of a new test called the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) would encourage more people to take part, with a 7% increase in uptake.

“The sooner this can be introduced, the more lives will be saved.”

It is hoped that FIT will drastically improve participation rates as it only requires one stool sample to be sent rather than three – and it is also said to be better at detecting potential signs of disease.

The age at which bowel cancer screening starts in England is also set to be lowered from 60 to 50, with FIT to be introduced in the autumn.

Professor Anne Mackie, director of screening at Public Health England, said she hoped “thousands more lives could be saved” if the new system proved popular.

“People are putting their lives unnecessarily at risk by missing out on a bowel screen test, which significantly reduces your risk of dying from bowel cancer,” she stressed.

“We want more people to get tested as thousands more lives could be saved.

“Test kits are sent out to everyone over 60, together with a leaflet about what’s involved and why it’s important that people have a choice to decide if it’s right for them.

“Also the new FIT kit will be easier to use, so will hopefully boost numbers being tested.”

Cancer Research UK says around 28,500 people aged 60 and over are diagnosed with bowel cancer in England each year, but their chances of surviving are significantly better if it is diagnosed at an early stage.

Nine in 10 people manage to live through it if caught not long after it develops, but less than one in 10 survive if it is only detected in its latter stages.

(c) Sky News 2018: Millions of people ‘putting lives at risk’ by skipping bowel cancer screening