Lowering of bowel screening age will save lives in Yorkshire

Yorkshire Cancer Research welcomes the news that people aged 50 and 52 will receive at-home bowel screening test kits in the post, marking the final phase of the NHS ambition to offer screening to everyone aged 50 to 74. 

The move means that nearly 80,000 more people living in Yorkshire will have the opportunity to benefit from the national NHS bowel screening programme, which helps find bowel cancer at an early stage before any symptoms develop.

Bowel screening can also help prevent bowel cancer by detecting non-cancerous growths (polyps), which might develop into cancer if left untreated.

Between 2001 and 2019, the number of people aged 50 to 59 diagnosed with bowel cancer each year in Yorkshire increased by 24%, from 334 to 413.  

Every year in Yorkshire, a total of nearly 4,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer. 1 in 2 cases of bowel cancer in the region are found at a late stage, when there are fewer treatment options.

Screening is the best way to find bowel cancer early and taking part in screening reduces the risk of dying from bowel cancer by at least 25%.

Dr Griffiths added: “There are significant regional variations in the proportion of people who complete their bowel screening when invited, from a quarter in some areas to nearly 9 in 10 in others.

“Yorkshire Cancer Research is committed to working in local communities to help support more people to benefit from this important test, as well as funding vital research to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat bowel cancer by bringing pioneering clinical trials to the region.”

Neil Garner, from Sheffield, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in May 2022 after using and returning  his bowel screening kit. He received treatment at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield and after being given the ‘all clear’, now supports more people to take part in screening.