More men urged to screen for bowel cancer

Health and Social Care Secretary - Sajid Javid and the NHS are calling on men over the age of 60 to come forward for bowel cancer screening in a bid to prevent thousands of lives being lost to cancer.

In an interview with Trumpet as part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, Javid said: “we have new test kits which started just a few years ago. They are called FIT kit tests and they are take-at-home tests, they’re very simple because you give a stool sample you send it off and it will be assessed. They’re very worthwhile, they can be very accurate and anyone over the age of 60 should be taking these tests every 2 years. The NHS can automatically send them and couldn’t make it simpler for you to get tested and protected.”

A home testing kit called the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is automatically sent to people aged 60-74 every two years and is quick to use, meaning patients do not need to go to hospital for screening. If the test finds anything unusual, people may be asked to have further tests to confirm or rule out cancer.

Javid said the Bowel Cancer Awareness Month is “an opportunity to remind everyone this is a very serious disease. I sadly lost my own father to it 10 years ago. I keep looking back thinking if he had taken an early test then maybe he’d be with us today and I want to encourage people to come forward especially men. It affects more men than women and especially those from ethnic minority backgrounds where we have fewer people taking these tests.

“As well as launching a 10-year Cancer Plan to deliver world-leading cancer care, I want to see more eligible people coming forward for bowel cancer screening, which saves at least 2,500 lives every year.”

Nearly 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK each year and 16,500 sadly die from it, making it one of the most common cancers in England. Yet, just 1 in 20 Brits would go to the doctor if they had symptoms of bowel cancer, including constipation, blood in faeces, stomach cramps, excess gas and bloating.

The government is investing £2.3 billion to roll out 160 Community Diagnostic Centres, 81 of which have already opened. They offer patients rapid access to clinical tests and life-saving checks close to their home. The centres have already delivered 775,000 additional tests and by 2025, the NHS will be able to carry out 9 million additional diagnostic tests. This will help us reduce waiting times so that 95% of patients needing a diagnostic test receive it within six weeks by March 2025.

This will be supported by the Health and Social Care Levy, which will raise £36 billion over the next three years to speed up diagnoses and patient waiting times. The funding will permit around 30% more elective activity in three years’ time than before the pandemic and 17 million more diagnostic tests over the next three years.

While some aspects of the bowel cancer screening programme were paused during the first wave of the pandemic, screening centres are now sending out invitations at rates over 100% of pre-Covid levels and pre-pandemic performance has been restored.

Asked about how uptake of screening among ethnic minorities compares to rest of the country, Javid said: “If you look in London for instance where as you know that it’s a very ethnically diverse part of the UK, the take up rate of the bowel cancer test has been as low as 41% compared with 56% in other parts of the country. It has been substantially lower than the rest of the country and we know that so many people when they get tested and if they’re diagnosed early on, that is the best opportunity to make an intervention.

“I often get asked why people from ethnic minority backgrounds might take up less of the opportunity. I know a lot about Asian families and sometimes there is a fear of the ‘c word’ - the cancer word and people sometimes therefore don’t take the opportunity.”

To address the disparities in screening, Javid said: “We are taking every opportunity, especially during bowel cancer awareness month, to promote the tests that are available to encourage people to come forward.

“We are also working with GPs across the country not just encouraging tests but also people to go and speak to their GP about potential symptoms. Maybe blood in their stool or other signs, it’s important to work with GPs and get that done.

“Separately, across all cancers we want to make sure that we’re investing more in workforce, tackling inequalities, and investing in new treatments. That’s why I launched a new call for evidence where we ask the public to come forward, including readers of the Trumpet, and give us their own experiences so that we can have a new 10 year cancer plan, so that we can do everything we can to make the UK one of the leaders in cancer healthcare.”

The Health and Social Care Secretary warned that: “The older you are, the more likely you are to be at risk. We have started screening 56 year olds. The most important thing is to come forward get a test kit and then take the test. Femi, you said you have a kit - have you used it? What are you waiting for? Promise me by this time next week, I want to make sure you’ve used your test. You’ve set a really good example, thank you so much.”

Attesting to the importance of screening, Jennifer who has been treated by the NHS recalled that: “I have always had a tendency to have stomach upsets but they reached a point where they became more frequent. And the abdominal pain increased to several times a week. So when the bowel cancer screening kit arrived on my doorstep, I returned it the very next day. It’s such a simple test and presented in such a way that it is easy and “clean” to perform.

“I was surprised when I had the letter confirming the test was positive and inviting me for a follow up colonoscopy. The doctor took small samples of tumour tissue – it didn’t hurt at all! And the doctor told me straight away I had cancer. I only had to wait six days for the test results and it was confirmed to be malignant cancer.

“Since then I have had half of my large intestine removed and had open abdominal surgery as the tumour was attached to other tissues. It had spread to my lymph nodes as well so I was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. I am currently undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy to help prevent the cancer spreading.

“I am so grateful that I received such prompt treatment by the NHS. The moral of my story is “listen” to your body, you will know if your bowel function is not right. If so, don’t make excuses and explain it away to yourself – find out what is wrong. Please don’t be shy, send back your bowel cancer screening test as soon as you can, it really could save your life.”

On a similar note, Rob recalled that: “I was diagnosed with bowel cancer about six years ago. I was having bowel movements that were a bit different and I didn’t think it was anything sinister. Then one day I thought - something’s not right here – so I did an at-home screening test and sent it off.

“I was then asked to come into hospital for a colonoscopy and the doctor found a tumour, which they quickly identified as cancer. It was a shock to hear.

“Within a month, I had an operation to remove the tumour and I made a really good recovery. They caught it pretty quickly but I could’ve gone to the doctor earlier when my symptoms first started.  I feel very lucky to have made a good recovery and I’m thankful to the NHS and the two surgeons who operated on me. 

“My message to anyone reading this - if you have any blood in your stool or any symptoms, go see your doctor. And when the routine tests come through the door – do the test, don’t put it away in a draw.”

Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer, said: “Bowel cancer can develop without people being aware of it, so sending in a screening test could make all the difference if it means your bowel cancer can be picked up at an early stage when it is most likely to be curable.

“The NHS FIT kits can be done quickly and conveniently at home and really could save your life.”

Dr Lisa Wilde, Director of Research and External Affairs at Bowel Cancer UK, said: “Bowel cancer remains the UK’s second biggest cancer killer, and it’s shocking that the many people wouldn’t visit their GP if they had symptoms.

“Nearly everyone diagnosed at the earliest stage will survive bowel cancer but this drops significantly as the disease develops. Knowing the key symptoms and visiting your GP if you have any of them, or if things don’t feel right, can help increase the chances of an early diagnosis.

"Also if you are of eligible age and receive a bowel screening kit in the post please take part. Bowel screening programmes are by far the best route to early diagnosis. Screening can detect bowel cancer before symptoms appear, so don’t ignore the test as it could save your life.”