Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

Blog - 11 April 2022

Nearly 43,000 people are detected with bowel cancer each year in the UK. If it is diagnosed early it is treatable and curable.

The best way to detect bowel cancer early, even before symptoms appear is through bowel cancer screening. The South of Tyne Bowel Screening Service offers screening to the people of Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and parts of County Durham.

Bowel cancer screening in the UK uses a home test kit called the faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT). The test is easy to complete and done in the privacy of your own home. The FIT test is sent automatically every 2 years for people aged 60 to 74 but has recently been extended to include 56 year olds. This is part of an age extension scheme which will see the test rolled out to 50 – 59 year olds gradually over the next four years. If you haven’t received your FIT kit, want a replacement kit or are over 75 contact the screening programme on 0800 707 60 60.

The symptoms of bowel cancer can include:

  • Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
  • A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
  • A pain or lump in your tummy

Complete your bowel cancer screening test and please don’t ignore it, It could save your life!

Find out more at www.nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-cancer-screening

 

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