Published on 16 August 2022
Home-testing kits that can help detect early stage bowel cancer will be rolled out to 58 year olds in England for the first time, as part of a major expansion of the life-saving screening programme.
People aged 58 years will now receive a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) if and when eligible, which can detect early signs of bowel cancer by precisely recording the presence of any blood in just one gram of poo.
CMCA has welcomed the move and Managing Director Jon Hayes said the FIT test was a proven method of identifying people with the early signs of bowel cancer – and had been used extensively as a diagnostic tool in primary care across Cheshire & Merseyside during the pandemic.
Jon said: “It is fantastic news that the FIT programme is expanding. Everyone who receives one of these tests should do it – it really can save your life to find bowel cancer early.”
Around 830,000 additional people aged 58 years in England will now be eligible for the screening test.
It is the latest stage in the phased rollout for people aged 50 and over, which was introduced to 56 year olds in April 2021.
FIT kits can be conveniently carried out at home by putting a poo sample in a small tube and returning it by post to the NHS for further tests.
Those newly eligible will receive an invitation letter and will be sent their test with full instructions and prepaid return packaging.
The NHS Long Term Plan committed to lowering the age of those eligible for home-testing kits to everyone aged 50 and above by 2025.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer with almost 43,000 cases in the UK each year - it can be easier to treat if found at an earlier stage.
National Clinical Director for Cancer, Professor Peter Johnson, said: “We are expanding the bowel cancer screening programme in a phased approach to make sure we can diagnose bowel cancer as early as possible, often before symptoms appear, meaning we could save thousands of lives with simple and convenient screening.
“I would encourage anyone who is sent a kit to return their tests as quickly as you can, because this can detect early signs of bowel cancer and ensure that anyone affected can get treatment for the disease sooner, while making it more accessible for people, including vulnerable groups, to do at home.
“It is still important that anyone experiencing symptoms, such as blood in their poo or severe stomach pain, no matter their age, should speak to their GP as soon as possible – so please don’t be prudish about poo and get checked if you have any worrying signs.”
The FIT home testing kit is already available to everyone aged 60 to 74 and is also available for most 56 year olds in England. Since the FIT kit was introduced in April 2019, national uptake has increased to 66.8% compared to 59.2%.
The FIT kit is more convenient to use than the previous home test as it only requires one sample which can be done at home and is then returned in a sealed bottle.
Due to the increased uptake with the FIT kit, more cancers are now being detected than when the previous test was used. It also has fewer false positives meaning more polyps can be removed at colonoscopy that might otherwise grow into cancers. Around 2% of people who use the kit will require further testing.
People concerned that they may have missed their invitation can call the free bowel cancer screening helpline for advice on 0800 707 60 60. Information on bowel cancer and the screening programme can be found here.