April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and to mark this, Dr William Dickey, Clinical Lead in Gastroenterology and Endoscopy with the Western Health Trust, is encouraging eligible members of the public to participate in the Northern Ireland Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.
Dr William Dickey romoting free bowel cancer screening with Maria McGowan, Endoscopy sister and Specialist Screening Practitioner; Dr Graham Morrison, Consultant Gastroenterologist; Marian Purser, Endoscopy sister and Specialist Screening Practitioner.
Bowel cancer is the second commonest malignancy in Northern Ireland, with 1,000 new cases and 400 deaths due to bowel cancer every year.
Around one in every 18 people will develop bowel cancer.
However, if it is diagnosed early the outlook is very good with a survival rate of over 90% and the prospect of complete cure.
Unfortunately, by the time symptoms develop many cases are advanced.
The purpose of screening is to detect bowel cancer at an earlier stage.
Since screening started four years ago, 59 cancer cases have been diagonised through the programme of which the majority were picked up at an early stage.
Bowel cancer is the second commonest malignancy in Northern Ireland, with 1,000 new cases and 400 deaths due to bowel cancer every year.
Around one in every 18 people will develop bowel cancer.
However, if it is diagnosed early the outlook is very good indeed with a survival rate over 90% and the prospect of complete cure.
Unfortunately, by the time symptoms develop many cases are advanced.
Dr Dickey revealed only half of those eligible in the Western Trust area take up the invitation to be screened.”
Men and women who are eligible for screening receive a test kit in the post at their home address.
It is important that your GP has your most up-to-date address and correct date of birth or you may miss the chance to take part in the programme.
The simple home test kit can be completed easily in the privacy of your own home and returned to the laboratory for analysis.
The kit is used to detect traces of blood in the bowel motion, which indicate that further tests need to be carried out.
Most people who are tested will have no blood in their bowel motions and will be invited to repeat the screening test again in two year’s time.”
Latest figures show that only 53% of people in Northern Ireland who are receiving test kits are actually using and returning them.
The Public Health Authority and Western Trust strongly encourages anyone who receives a test kit, to carefully read the enclosed information leaflets to help make them a full informed decision about participating.
Dr Dickey said: “Screening offers the best chance of early detection of bowel cancer and the earlier it is detected the more successful treatment is likely to be.”
Aside from the screening programme which targets people with no symptoms, it is important that people know the symptoms which bowel cancer may cause so that they can seek medical advice early.
The most common symptoms of bowel cancer are:
• new bowel symptoms lasting more than a few weeks, especially needing to go to the toilet more often or diarrhoea
• blood in the stool
• a lump in the abdomen
• low blood count (anaemia).
If you have any questions about screening and what it involves, visit www.cancerscreening.hscni.net.
If you are concerned about any symptoms, contact your GP
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