Detecting bowel cancer at an early stage

Bowel cancer screening aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage (in people with no symptoms), when treatment is more likely to be effective.

Bowel cancer screening can also detect polyps. These are not cancers, but may develop into cancers over time. They can easily be removed, reducing the risk of bowel cancer developing.


About 1 in 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer during their lifetime.

It is the third most common cancer in the UK, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths, with over 16,000 people dying from it each year (Cancer Research UK, 2005. Cancerstats).

Regular bowel cancer screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16%.
(Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2006. Screening for colorectal cancer using the faecal occult blood test: an update)

 

Bowel Cancer Screening Freephone helpline: 0800 707 60 60

 

Last updated: 23 October, 2007
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