A Bowel Cancer screening awareness campaign has launched in Bath and North East Somerset encouraging men aged 56-74 to take a simple free test which could save their lives.
Bowel cancer screening is a simple test that can be done at home. It is designed to detect early signs of bowel cancer.
People in the 56-74 age bracket who are registered with a GP will receive an NHS bowel cancer screening kit through the post every two years, and the campaign aims to get more men to take the test using the free kit.
Bath & North East Somerset Council is leading the targeted campaign with the support of Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the South West NHS England Screening and Immunisations team, B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Integrated Care Board (ICB), and Bowel Cancer West.
In B&NES screening uptake has generally improved year-on-year since 2015. B&NES also had a higher uptake of the screening programme among those aged 60-74yrs (73.6%) compared to England (70.7%) in 2020/21.
However, uptake varies considerably by age, gender, and socio-economic status. Uptake amongst women is higher than that by men, and in some areas of Bath and North East Somerset there is a low uptake among men aged 59 to 64.
Councillor Dine Romero, cabinet member for children, young people and communities, said, “This little kit could save your life and we want to alert more men to using it and getting themselves screened. We are running a targeted campaign with adverts on bus stops and on the back of buses in Bath, Keynsham and Radstock. Letter and text reminders will also be sent to some people living in B&NES who receive a bowel cancer screening kit.”
Director of Public, Rebecca Reynolds, added, “It is important that we raise awareness of the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and highlight the fact that most people do the test and have normal results and a healthy bowel. However, locally we know that men, especially those receiving their first screening invitation, are less likely to do the test, so we are particularly keen for those receiving their first test kit to take the test even though they may feel fine and don’t have any symptoms. This is because the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer often go unnoticed until the disease is well developed. The good news is, if caught early, the majority of bowel cancers can be successfully treated.”
Previously, the NHS bowel cancer screening was for those aged 60 to 74 years. Since April 2021 the programme has been expanding to make it available to everyone aged 50 to 59 years over a four-year period. Across Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon Wiltshire, people turning 56 and 58 years old are now receiving invitations to take part in bowel screening. Those eligible receive an invitation letter, along with an information leaflet. About a week later, the programme sends a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) kit with instructions on how to use it at home. The FIT test was introduced in June 2019 and has helped to improve uptake overall.
Results are sent out two weeks after the laboratory receives the completed kit. The screening programme offers individuals with an abnormal screening result a colonoscopy.
For more information visit: cruk.org/bowelscreening