Bowel Cancer Screening
What is bowel cancer screening?
Bowel cancer screening is a test you do at home that checks for signs of bowel cancer.
Is it available to everyone?
Bowel cancer screening is offered every two years to men and women aged 50 to 74. People older than this can ask for a screening kit every two years by calling the free helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
Screening is always a choice but the purpose of bowel cancer screening is to:
- detect bowel cancer at an early stage when it is easier to treat
- find polyps, which may turn into cancer over time if not removed
Screening is about prevention and early detection potentially detecting the condition early or before symptoms appear allowing earlier intervention and treatment. Whilst screening is a personal choice, we would urge people to give serious consideration to this offer of screening and then make an informed decision.
More information on population screening can be found here:- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/population-screening-explained
What condition does the screening look for?
Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel. Depending on where it starts, bowel cancer is sometimes called colon or rectal cancer. The NHS website has more information, including:
- symptoms of bowel cancer
- causes of bowel cancer
- treatment for bowel cancer
More information about the testing kit
A test kit called the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) was introduced in England in June 2019. This kit is an easier test to complete and is sent with all invitations for bowel cancer screening.
People eligible for bowel cancer screening get an invitation letter, along with an information leaflet explaining screening and its possible benefits and risks. About a week later, the programme sends a FIT kit with instructions on how to use it at home. Results are sent out within two weeks after the laboratory receives the completed kit.
The screening programme offers individuals with an abnormal screening result an appointment with a Specialist Screening Practioner (SSP) to discuss whether a further diagnostic test is appropriate. The gold standard is a colonoscopy. This is performed by Bowel Cancer Screening Accredited Colonoscopists.
Lifetime screening
In our lifetimes we will be offered numerous opportunities for screening via the NHS. These videos explain the screening you'll be offered as a female or a male.
- Females: https://youtu.be/LNCYsTU96VA
- Males: https://youtu.be/MHUnW_Z_-jI
Please feel free to contact the Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield screening centre on 01422 222913 or the Screening hub 0800 707 60 60 if you have any further questions in relation to Bowel Cancer Screening.
