This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Bowel cancer home testing kits to be rolled out across England
The Department of Health (DoH) has announced that new bowel cancer home testing kits will be rolled out across England.
The UK National Screening Committee recommended the Faecal Immonochemical Test (FIT) should be rolled out nationally, following a successful pilot involved 40,000 people.
The FIT tests look for early signs of bowel cancer by testing for hidden blood in stool samples and will be offered to all men and women aged 60 to 74 every two years.
They are reportedly easier to use than current kits, as they only require one stool sample. The rollout is expected to increase screening uptake by around 10 per cent, which could result in more than 200,000 more people being tested every year.
Jane Ellison, Public Health Minister, said: “This new test is an exciting game changer for helping us beat bowel cancer. It is easier to use, will increase the number of tests and help us tackle cancer earlier.
“Someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer every 15 minutes in the UK and we know early detection is absolutely crucial. More than 90 per cent of cases can be treated successfully if diagnosed early.”
Deborah Alsina, chief executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: “The Faecal Immunochemical Test has been proven to be more accurate and easier for people to complete than the current test. Research has shown that FIT can increase uptake by 10 per cent and even double uptake in groups that have previously not taken part in the programme.
“This is crucial as we know that screening has a vital role to play in detecting bowel cancer early, when it is more treatable and chances of survival are high, so we are delighted that the government has committed to introducing FIT in England and we look forward to continuing working with them to ensure FIT is introduced into the programme quickly.”
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