The latest phase of the NHS England ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign aims to encourage people who are sent the NHS bowel cancer screening home test kit to complete it and return it.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Yet, the latest data shows that almost one third of people who were sent an NHS bowel cancer screening kit in England last year did not go on to complete it. Early diagnosis is vital as detecting bowel cancer at the earliest stage makes you up to 9 times more likely to be successfully treated.
Just a tiny sample detects signs of cancer before you notice anything wrong. The test is simple to complete and can be done in the privacy of your own bathroom. Anyone aged 60 to 74, who lives in England and is registered with a GP practice will be sent a test in the post automatically, every two years. NHS England is also extending this to include all 50 to 59 year-olds by 2025.
So, the NHS is asking anyone who is sent a bowel cancer screening test to remember to complete it. Put it by the loo. Don’t put it off. Your next poo could save your life.
Visit nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-screening for more information.
