Researchers have reported that the new DIY bowel cancer tests are estimated to preserve over 2,200 lives in the UK every year by 2025.
The tests - known as faecal occult blood (FOB) tests will be posted every two years to people who are aged between 60 and 74.
The programme began in England in 2007 and is expected to start shortly in Wales too. In Scotland, screening is currently offered to everyone aged 50 to 74 and should be available across Britain by December 2009.
Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. Over 36,500 people are diagnosed with it each year and about 16,000 people die from it annually. Screening for bowel cancer every two years for elderly aged 60 to 74 is crucial in order to reduce the number of people dying from this cancer. The whole idea of the screenings is to detect bowel cancer before it causes any symptoms, so that it could be treated successfully in its early stages.
By using data on death rates and the numbers of people affected by cancer from 1975 to 2004, the researchers have been able to estimate how many lives the screening programme could save. The researchers assumed that between 60% and 80% of people will take up the opportunity to be screened.
The tests are simple. They detect tiny amounts of blood in the stools, which can be an early sign of bowel cancer. People take the test at home and send off their sample to a laboratory, with the results being posted back within two weeks. The testing is non-invasive and anonymous - it's just a case of doing the test at home and sending a sample off for analysis.
Although the whole procedure was made this simple, there are still a large number of people not using the testing kits. Forgetting to do it or feeling too embarrassed could have serious consequences.
The tests - known as faecal occult blood (FOB) tests will be posted every two years to people who are aged between 60 and 74.
The programme began in England in 2007 and is expected to start shortly in Wales too. In Scotland, screening is currently offered to everyone aged 50 to 74 and should be available across Britain by December 2009.
Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. Over 36,500 people are diagnosed with it each year and about 16,000 people die from it annually. Screening for bowel cancer every two years for elderly aged 60 to 74 is crucial in order to reduce the number of people dying from this cancer. The whole idea of the screenings is to detect bowel cancer before it causes any symptoms, so that it could be treated successfully in its early stages.
By using data on death rates and the numbers of people affected by cancer from 1975 to 2004, the researchers have been able to estimate how many lives the screening programme could save. The researchers assumed that between 60% and 80% of people will take up the opportunity to be screened.
The tests are simple. They detect tiny amounts of blood in the stools, which can be an early sign of bowel cancer. People take the test at home and send off their sample to a laboratory, with the results being posted back within two weeks. The testing is non-invasive and anonymous - it's just a case of doing the test at home and sending a sample off for analysis.
Although the whole procedure was made this simple, there are still a large number of people not using the testing kits. Forgetting to do it or feeling too embarrassed could have serious consequences.
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