Thousands of people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year (Image: GETTY)
From next month, NHS England will enhance the sensitivity of a cancer screening test, leading to more people being referred for potentially life-saving follow-up appointments in the fight against the UK’s fourth most common cancer. Bowel cancer accounts for over 44,000 new diagnoses annually in the UK, with 17,400 deaths attributed to the disease, according to Cancer Research UK.
The NHS currently screens for this cancer using at-home test kits that are sent to laboratories to detect minute traces of blood in faecal samples.
Currently, the threshold for triggering further investigation stands at 120 micrograms of blood per gram of faeces. However, from next month, this will be reduced to 80 micrograms, with the aim of catching more cases at an earlier stage.
Bowel cancer symptoms can be difficult to identify and are typically only evident during bathroom visits. Macmillan Cancer Support notes that the disease can occasionally cause a blockage, resulting in abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation or bloating.
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Symptoms of bowel cancer:
- Blood in or on your poo
- Bleeding from the rectum
- Changes in your normal bowel habits with no obvious cause and lasts longer than 3 weeks
- Unexplained weight loss
- Pain in your tummy or back passage
- Feeling that you have not emptied your bowel properly after you poo
- Anaemia and unexplained tiredness, dizziness or breathlessness it causes
The blood symptoms may appear bright red but can also be dark in colour. There are other conditions that can cause similar symptoms so it’s always best to be checked by your doctor.
Macmillan experts advise: “Many people are embarrassed or uncomfortable discussing bowel symptoms. But doctors are used to talking about these things. They may help put you at ease.”
These experts strongly recommend seeking a specialist referral from your GP if symptoms persist or worsen over a few weeks.
It is projected that the recent changes to NHS screening will identify an additional 600 cases of bowel cancer annually, and detect 2,000 more people with high-risk polyps that can be removed before they develop into cancer.
This change will align services in England with those in Scotland and Wales, which already operate under the lower threshold. The change will be gradually implemented across England, with the aim of achieving nationwide coverage by 2028.
Furthermore, starting next month, people who have participated in bowel cancer screening will begin receiving notifications via their NHS app. These alerts will provide information on what to expect, how to prepare for the arrival of the kit in the post, and guidance on completing the test.
Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: ”This is great news for people living in England. This change marks an important moment for bowel cancer screening in the country.
“Increasing the sensitivity of the test means more cancers will be prevented and found earlier, saving more lives from the UK’s fourth most common cancer.
“This change may put extra pressure on already overstretched service, leading to more people waiting for tests that could either confirm a diagnosis or put their minds at rest. Therefore, it’s vital that staff across the screening pathway are fully supported and resourced to meet the extra demand for colonoscopy services.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
