Earlier screening for bowel cancer ‘will help save lives and money’

SCREENING PEOPLE for bowel cancer from the age of 50 instead of 60 could dramatically boost a person’s chances of survival, a charity has said.

At present, screening starts at age 60 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but those living in Scotland are screened from the age of 50. The charity Beating Bowel Cancer is now calling for the age limit to be lowered to 50 across the board to boost the number of people diagnosed early.

At present, around 4,600 men and women in their 50s are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year, even though they do not fall into the screening programme.

Beating Bowel Cancer believes many more cases of bowel cancer could be picked up if screening was in place, and those who are diagnosed could have their cancer detected at an earlier stage.

Figures show people diagnosed at an early stage have a 97 per cent survival rate. But if the cancer is picked up later, then survival odds drop to seven per cent.

Data also shows people are far more likely to be diagnosed at stage one through screening than through being referred which happens to many people who are diagnosed in the later stages.

Judith Brodie, director of services at Beating Bowel Cancer, said: “It’s time we changed the odds for patients in their 50s in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It’s shocking that they are not being given the same opportunity for an early diagnosis as those in Scotland.”

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