Bowel Cancer Screening
The NHS bowel cancer screening programme offers screening every two years to all men and women aged 60 to 69. People in this age group will automatically be sent an invitation, then their screening kit, so they can do the test at home. Your GP will provide your contact details, so it is important that he or she has your correct name and address.
After your first screening test, you will be sent another invitation and screening kit every two years until you reach 69. If you are aged 70 or over, you can ask for a screening kit by calling the Freephone number (below)
What is the purpose of bowel cancer screening?
- Bowel cancer screening aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage (in people with no symptoms), when treatment is more likely to be effective.
- Bowel cancer screening can also detect polyps. These are not cancers, but may develop into cancers over time. They can easily be removed, reducing the risk of bowel cancer developing.
How will the screening work?
You carry out the FOB test in the privacy of your own home. The screening kit provides a simple way for you to collect small samples of your bowel motions. You wipe the samples on a special card, which you then send in a hygienically sealed Freepost envelope to a laboratory for testing. There are detailed instructions with each kit. You may think that doing the test sounds a bit embarrassing or unpleasant, but it will only take a few minutes and it is an effective way to detect bowel cancer early.
More Information
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Bowel cancer screening: the facts
This leaflet aims to give information about bowel cancer, and the benefits and risks of bowel cancer screening. It aims to help in the making of an informed choice about taking part in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.. -
There are patient materials on bowel cancer, including in English, Bengali, Cantonese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu
The NHS bowel cancer screening programme helpline
Freephone: 0800 707 60 60