Unlike pancreatic cancer, bowel cancer CAN be detected by screening of people with no symptoms. The NHS screening programme started 10 years ago and has detected over 25,000 cancers.


As bowel cancers increase with age, screening starts at 60 ( 50 in Scotland, or younger for people at higher risk ). It identifies traces of blood in faeces. Such " hidden " / slight bleeding may or may not be from a cancer. It may be from a non-cancerous growth called a polyp ( which could lead to cancer if untreated ).


Less than 2/3 of those eligible for free NHS bowel cancer screening have taken part since it started in 2006.


Communication about screening could be better. Benefits are overstated and harms downplayed. While most people screened for bowel cancer DON’T have it, there may be unclear or abnormal results. NO screening test is perfect - there may be " false negative " results ( cancer missed ) or “ false positive “ results ( not due to cancer ).

In the small proportion of people with abnormal results ( and some apparently healthy people ), they may be invited for " bowel scope screening “ . This either uses a flexible tube with a camera on the end to look at the lower bowel ( sigmoidoscope ) or a longer tube ( colonoscope ) to examine the entire bowel. These allow " biopsies " / samples to be taken or complete removal of small polyps, which must then be examined microscopically by a medical pathologist.


There ARE risks with these " invasive " procedures, but very low ( such as bleeding or perforation of the bowel ). Private scanning clinics may use " non-invasive " methods such as MRI and ultrasound scans, which may not allow biopsies to be taken.


The best hope for cure of bowel cancer - common both in UK and the Philippines - is early diagnosis and surgical removal. Clearly if they have worrying signs / symptoms then it’s sensible to attend a doctor.

Whether people choose to be screened is a personal decision. They should weigh up the benefits, and less often publicised disadvantages, and discuss with their doctor, before reaching that decision.



( Please note : underlined words in my posts give links to more detailed information. )