Scottish Bowel Screening Programme

Don’t take the risk, take the test.

The Scottish national bowel screening programme offers bowel screening to all men and women aged between 50 and 74 years. The aim of the programme is to save lives from bowel cancer by picking up these cancers at an early stage (before they have started to cause any symptoms.) Treatment of early bowel cancers can be successful in 90 per cent of cases.

If you are aged 50 to 74 you will be sent a test kit to your home to complete and return to the national Bowel Screening Centre in Dundee for testing. Where the test shows that there is blood present in the bowel motions (poo), further tests are required to find the reason for the presence of the blood. Blood can be present in the motions for many reasons other than bowel cancer. The important thing is to carry out further investigations to find out the reason for the blood and start any treatment as soon as possible.

If you have any further questions call the National Bowel Screening Helpline on 0800 0121 833

Facts About Bowel Cancer

• Bowel cancer (otherwise known as colorectal cancer) is a major public health problem in Scotland
• Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in Scotland
• Around 4,000 people in Scotland get bowel cancer every year
• It is most common in people aged over 50 years

Look Out For Bowel Cancer Symptoms

For most people, a normal screening test result means no evidence of bowel cancer. However, no screening test is not 100 per cent effective. This is mainly because the test is looking for traces of blood in the bowel motions and bowel cancers may not bleed all of the time. This means a cancer can sometimes be missed by the screening test. So even if you have a normal screening result, always be aware and never ignore bowel cancer symptoms.

Changes in the bowel can also occur between screening tests, so it is important you repeat the screening test every two years and never ignore bowel symptoms. You should always be on the look-out for possible changes in your bowel habits. If you notice symptoms in between screening tests, please go to your GP.

Signs And Symptoms Of Bowel Cancer

• Repeated bleeding from your bottom or blood in your poo
• A recent change in your bowel habit (how often you go to the toilet) that continues for more than four weeks without going back to normal
• Watery poo on its own or with constipation (constipation on its own is less likely to be serious)
• Severe pain in your tummy that won’t go away, especially after eating
• You’ve recently lost weight without trying
• You feel tired all the time

If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your GP. These are usually caused by something other than cancer but it’s important to have them checked.

How To Reduce The Chances Of Bowel Cancer

Most people suffer from problems with their bowels at times. Sometimes a change in diet can be all that is needed (especially if you are constipated).

As well as doing your bowel screening test you can reduce your risk of developing bowel cancer by:

• Eating a healthy diet containing wholegrains like wholegrain bread and cereals, beans, pulses and plenty of fruit and vegetables
• Limiting foods high in sugar or fat, and avoiding sugary drinks
• Avoiding processed meat like bacon and sausages and limiting red meat
• Getting to and keeping to a healthy weight – avoid gaining weight and try losing weight if overweight
• Being more active in everyday life, this includes walking more and sitting less
• Drinking less alcohol – not drinking alcohol is better for cancer prevention
• Stopping smoking
• Telling your GP if you’ve any worries about your bowel habits