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Why Bowel Cancer Screening is done

Bowel Cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK.
Bowel Cancer screening uses a test called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) to look for blood in a sample of your poo. This could be a sign of Bowel Cancer
You collect a sample of poo at home and send it in the envelope provided to our local Screening Hub for testing.

Completing this test can help find cancer early, and before you have any symptoms, which may mean its easier to treat.

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The Bowel Cancer Screening Process – eligibility

If you're aged 50 to 74 and registered with a GP in England, you'll automatically get a bowel cancer screening home test kit (FIT kit) through the post every 2 years.
From 10^th March 2025, the service completed the final stage of reducing the starting age to 50.
You can also get screening for bowel cancer screening every 2 years if you're aged 75 or over, but you need to call the bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 6060 and request a test.

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The Bowel Cancer Screening Process – process

For every 100 kits received, 2 people will have a positive result and will receive an appointment for an assessment with a Specialist Screening Practitioner – a nurse who specialises in bowel screening within 14 days of receiving a positive result.

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The Bowel Cancer Screening Process – testing positive

When people test positive it does not mean that they have cancer, but it does mean we will offer you an appointment to discuss having a colonoscopy. Several things can cause blood in poo, such as:

Haemorrhoids
Bowel polyps

Of the 2 people (from 100) who have further test half of the people referred will have polyps we will remove. In our recent experience at NWAFT around 1 in 12 have a cancer found

The benefits of screening - Allows the Consultants to remove any polyps found during colonoscopy, which reduces your risk of developing bowel cancer

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NWAFT Bowel Cancer Screening Centre - 2024

We sent 81,423 kits to people to complete (in Cambridgeshire and South Lincolnshire)
56,008 kits were returned to the laboratory for testing (66.90% returned the kit)
963 kits were positive, and these individuals received an appointment to have an assessment with a specialist nurse within 14 days of their positive result
961 attended an appointment
724 people went on to have a diagnostic procedure and 2,081 adenomous polyps were removed
48 people had a cancer found

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How are we doing in the Cambridgeshire and South Lincolnshire Area

Bowel Cancer Screening uses a test called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) to look for blood in a sample of poo.
Overall, in 2024 an average of 66.90% of people returned their bowel screening kit in the Cambridgeshire and South Lincolnshire area
In the Cambridgeshire and South Lincolnshire area equal numbers of Men & Women are completing their test kits
On 10^th March 2025, the BCSP service completed the final stage of reducing the age from 60 to 50 years old. Patients will be automatically invited if they are registered with a GP and live in England.
The service is looking to increase the awareness of Bowel Cancer Screening in the local area and remove any preconceived ideas about taking the test.

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In 2024 roughly equal numbers of Men and Women returned their test kit around 66.90% returned their kits

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The earlier problems are in the bowel are detected the more effective the intervention is

The bowel cancer screening programme exists to identify cancers at an early stage.
Bowel Cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK, and almost 9 out of 10 people diagnosed are over the age of 50.
The screening programme identifies and removes polyps in the bowel before they develop into cancer, the earliest type of intervention.
While polyps are quite common (affecting 1 in 4 people who are 50 or over) they do not usually cause symptoms. Polyps do not usually turn into cancer but if some sorts of polyps are not removed (adenomas), there is a chance they will eventually become cancerous.
It is very important that everyone who is sent a bowel screening kit completes it and returns it to the Eastern Hub (laboratory) which is our local Screening Hub for our Screening Centre

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Know the symptoms of bowel cancer

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What are we doing to try and increase take up of bowel screening?

Bowel Cancer Awareness Initiatives

Hosted awareness stalls during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month (April) at Peterborough City Hospital and Hinchingbrooke Hospital in conjunction with HCCN Charity
Promoted via internal intranet, screensavers, and a press release from the Communications Team
The team have promotional t-shirts and fleeces to wear around the Trust and when attending events

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