Page updated: 16 May 2011
Take the test to help beat bowel cancer
Trafford residents who are eligible to take part in the bowel cancer screening programme are being urged to complete the potentially life-saving kits.
The screening kits are postal tests that people can complete at home. Samples are then posted back to a laboratory where they are screened for tiny specks of blood, which can be a sign of bowel cancer.
Dr Lisa Davies, consultant in public health at NHS Trafford, said: “The kits detect early cancers in people with no symptoms by checking stool samples for tiny traces of blood. Bowel cancers caught early can be more easily treated, so carrying out this simple test really could help save your life.
“We would particularly like more men to take part, as the incidence of bowel cancer is higher in men, but fewer men than women have been returning the postal kits.”
The postal screening kits continue to be sent through the post to everyone aged between 60 and 69, around the time of their odd-numbered birthday. Those aged 70 and over can request kits by telephoning 0800 707 6060. By the end of the year, it is planned that the kits will be routinely sent out to people aged 70 to 74.
Bowel cancer can have symptoms such as a persistent change in bowel habit, bleeding from the back passage without an obvious reason, abdominal pain, a lump in your abdomen, and nausea and unexplained weight loss. People who experience any of these should see their GP as soon as possible.
Bowel cancer mainly affects people aged over 60, as the risk of developing it increases with age. People with some other bowel conditions, like Crohn’s disease, can be at a higher risk of bowel cancer, and there is evidence to suggest that people who are overweight, take little exercise, and have a poor diet are more likely to get bowel cancer.
Ways to reduce the risk of bowel cancer include:
- Regular physical activity - ideally doing at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week.
- Maintaining a healthy body weight.
- Increasing your fibre intake by eating wholegrain.
- Eating smaller and fewer portions of processed or red meat.
- Eating more fish, particularly if it has been baked or poached.
- Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Stopping smoking – smoking is a major risk factor cause of at least 12 types of cancer, including bowel cancer.
For further information about bowel cancer, visit www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/bowel.