Health and Social Care Secretary urges more men to take up bowel cancer screening

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 this Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, in a bid to prevent thousands of lives being lost to cancer. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

There are also nearly 160 Faster Diagnosis Pathways in operation which aim to speed up diagnosis for cancer without the need for repeat diagnostic checks and ensure patients with worrying symptoms can be quickly assessed by a GP. 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.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

“I know all too well how devastating this disease is having lost my dad to bowel cancer 10 years ago. If he had been diagnosed earlier, he may still be with us today.

“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.

“We have already introduced a new home testing kit for those over 60 to make it easier and more convenient to get checked and screening services have recovered after the pandemic. This Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, I urge you to take up the screening offer and speak to your GP if you have health concerns.”

This summer the government will set out its 10-Year Cancer Plan, which will focus on increasing the number of people diagnosed at an early stage, where treatment can prove more effective, boosting the cancer workforce, and tackling disparities and inequalities in healthcare.

Bowel cancer is most common in people aged over 60 and the NHS offers screening to check for signs of cancer every two years to those aged 60-74. This reduces the risk of dying from bowel cancer by at least 25% and saves at least 2,500 lives a year.

Men are less likely to take up an offer of screening – less than half (47%) of men compared to 56% of women - despite being more likely to be diagnosed and die from the disease. Take-up rates are also low in people from ethnic minority backgrounds and those in more deprived areas  For example, screening uptake in the West Midlands and North West ranged from as low as 43% compared to 57% in more affluent areas. In the most ethnically diverse areas, such as London, it was as low as 41% compared to 56% in other parts of the country.

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.”

Case study - Jennifer’s story:

“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.”

Case study - Rob’s story:

“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.”        

Notes to editors

• The government committed to modernise the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in the Long-Term Plan published in January 2019, to detect more cancers earlier.
• As part of the restoration of the NHS Bowel Screening Programme following disruption caused by the pandemic, NHSEI has integrated the Long-Term Plan commitment to extend the age of the eligible cohort for bowel cancer screening.
• NHSEI is rolling out out bowel cancer screening to 56-year-olds  and screening will gradually be offered to people in their 50s as part of a phased approach.
• Cancer Research UK statistics on screening uptake in the UK last year.
• Study on gender and ethnic disparities in screening uptake, which was carried out before the FIT kit was introduced.