More than 150 people across West Yorkshire had bowel cancer detected at an early stage to save their lives in the past year - yet 40% of people offered it do not take up the offer and our team is urging greater take-up to save more lives.
We are part of the Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield Bowel Cancer Screening programme which detected more than 150 cancers at an early-stage last year.
In 2021 the programme:
- Invited 126,257 people
- Tested 89,879 people
- Offered 2,040 people a diagnostic test (2.27%)
- Detected 154 bowel cancers the majority at an early stage
If bowel cancer is diagnosed at its earliest stage, 92% of people will survive their disease for five years or more, compared with 10% of people when the disease is diagnosed much later.
Screening started off being available to 60-74 year olds and, due to its success, it is being opened up over the next four years in phases to 50-59 year olds. It is a simple test (completed at home) that could save your life and only requires one small sample of stool (poo) to be sent off to be tested for any signs of blood, which can be an early sign of growths within the large bowel. If blood is detected in the stool (approx. 2% of those tested), further investigations may be required, but these would initially be discussed with a specialist nurse.