About one in 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer during their lifetime. 

It’s the third most common cancer in the UK, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths, with more than 16,000 people dying form it each year.

Until now the only available NHS test in England was offered to those aged between 60-69.  The faecal occult blood test looks for traces of blood in the faeces and if discovered the person would be invited for further tests – usually a colonoscopy.

From March in Norwich, South of Tyne, St Mark’s London, Surrey, West Kent and Wolverhampton NHS trusts will be offering screening to everyone aged over 55.

The new screening could save 3,000 lives a year.  Younger symptomless patients will have a similar camera check, a flexible sigmoidoscopy, of the lower part of their large bowel which will check for any abnormal growths.  Screening in this way will allow doctors to remove growths at an early stage to prevent them from turning into cancer; they will also be able to pick up any cancers already present.

Mark Flannagan, chief executive of Beating Bowel Cancer says “Over 90% of cases of bowel cancer can be treated successfully if caught in the initial stages, so screening is essential to ensure we give patients the best chance of recovery.  Bringing in this test has the potential to save thousands of lives through early detection.”

He goes on to say “We look forward to playing our part in ensuring a full programme is rolled out across England as soon as possible so that many more people across the country can benefit.”

England has lagged behind other comparable countries with cancer survival rates, being 10-15% lower for some cancer types compared to countries such as Australia, Canada and Sweden.

Check the Beating Bowel Cancer website for more information and take a look at the Bowel Cancer map and see how many people in your area developed the disease.  In my area alone more women than men developed bowel cancer, although more women survived it.  Given the chance of the test please take it as bowel cancer is silent and it’s often too late once symptoms appear.

Lower your risk of bowel cancer by:

• Eating more vegetables, and less red and processed meat.
• Eating more fibre in your diet.
• Eating more fish, aim for 3 portions per week.
• Including antioxidants and minerals in your diet.  There is some evidence that Vitamin E and the mineral selenium may play a part in preventing bowel cancer.  Calcium may protect against bowel cancer, a research review found that 1g of calcium in your diet each day might help to protect against polyps, which in turn can develop into cancer.
• Keeping to a normal weight; reports show a clear link between being overweight or obese and an increased risk of some types of cancer including bowel cancer.
• Exercising, studies have linked physical exercise to a lower risk of bowel cancer.
• Taking aspirin (with a doctors guidance) research shows that taking regular aspirin or NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) may help to prevent bowel cancer and other digestive cancers, although it’s still not known how this works.  There is a theory that aspirin or NSAIDs stop an enzyme called COX 2 from working.  Blocking this enzyme may help to stop polyps from developing.
• Cook with turmeric, it contains a substance called curcumin.  Cultures that use a lot of turmeric in their cooking seem to have fewer cases of bowel cancer.  Curcumin may help to stop bowel cancer cells growing.
• Screening, make sure you take the screening when offered!

Bowel Cancer UK    Cancer Research UK