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Bowel cancer screening
31/03/2009
As a new national awareness campaign begins, more people in Scotland than ever before will be invited to be screened for bowel cancer, it was announced today.
The Scottish Bowel Screening Programme invites everyone aged 50 - 74 to carry out a simple test at home every two years. When the programme is fully rolled out, over 700,000 people a year will be invited to take part.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled NHSScotland's Bowel Screening Programme's new awareness campaign timed to co-incide with Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. The campaign is designed to encourage even more of those invited for screening to take the test.
The Health Secretary was also in Glasgow to welcome NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as the latest health board to come on stream for the national roll-out of NHSScotland's bowel screening services by the end of this year.
Joining health staff and cancer charities at the launch of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's screening service, Ms Sturgeon said:
"At the heart of Scotland's action plan to prevent and treat cancer, is the drive to urge people to take care of their health and to do all we can to detect cancer early on and help people to do this by identifying symptoms, going to the doctor and taking advantage of the screening programmes we have in place.
"Bowel Cancer Awareness Month reminds us of how commonly this type of cancer is diagnosed and the impact it has.
"Even when we feel fit and healthy, there are things we can do to address any underlying health concerns.
"Scotland's new poster campaign is designed to raise awareness of the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme and encourage those invited to be screened to take up this offer.
"More people than ever before will now be invited to take this simple test to complete at home and send off and I would like to add my voice to encourage them to do so."
Director of the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme, Professor Bob Steele, said:
"Bowel cancer is a major health problem in Scotland with 3,400 new cases being diagnosed each year. Screening for this form of cancer has been the most significant advance in its treatment for many decades.
"This national screening programme is the best available method of discovering the disease at an early stage when it can be cured, and by doing a simple test many lives can be saved. Screening only works if people do the test so I'd encourage everyone to take up the offer when they receive this."
The programme is one of the actions being undertaken under Scotland's action plan Better Cancer Care.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Dr Emilia Crighton, said:
"Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK and affects both men and women alike and as we get older the risk increases with nine out of 10 cases in people over 50. However, when detected early it can be treated effectively and many people can be cured.
"Within Greater Glasgow and Clyde there are approximately 750 - 830 new bowel cancer cases each year and approximately 350 - 400 deaths. It is essential that people use the kits and not be embarrassed or afraid to send us samples. The vast majority of results are perfectly normal. For the minority of people who do have positive results, screening will mean early detection, quicker treatment and a greater chance of a cure."
The Scottish Bowel Screening Programme new awareness campaign uses a new set of posters and leaflets to encourage those eligible to take part in the programme. The strapline is 'I've done the test, have you?'. The posters will be displayed in health facilities such as GP surgeries and pharmacies, community settings, Cancer Research UK shops and other public places.
The Scottish Bowel Screening Programme, has been developed and implemented through a partnership between the Scottish Government, NHS National Services Scotland, the Scottish Bowel Screening Centre, NHS Health Scotland, the 14 NHSScotland territorial Boards and the input of other partners and stakeholders.
The programme, which is currently undergoing a phased national roll-out across the whole of Scotland, invites everyone aged 50-74 to carry out a simple test, which can be done at home, every two years. All men and women in the age range are, or will be, sent a simple home test kit, which can be conducted in the privacy of their own home, without even having to pay a visit to the GP.
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and was originally established up by Bowel Cancer UK.
Scotland's Cancer action plan, Better Cancer Care, was published on October 27, 2008.