Bowel cancer screening aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage and where there are no symptoms. At this point, treatment is more likely to be effective. 

Bowel cancer screening is available for all men and women aged 60 to 74 years. When the test is due, patients are sent a kit through the post with full and easy instructions. The screening test detects tiny amounts of blood in bowel motions that are not visible.  Tests are carried-out by the patient in the privacy of their home. The kit supplied through the post provides a very simple way of collecting a small bowel motion sample.

This is then placed into a container and returned to the lab in the special envelope provided. The test takes only a few minutes and the results are known in the course of a few days.

Blood can be detected for a number of reasons. For example,  blood can be the result of polyps which are not cancerous but can become so over time. In a small number of cases, blood can be a result of cancer.  If blood is discovered, further tests are carried-out to find the cause.

If you have symptoms of bowel cancer at any age, always see a GP immediately and do not wait for a screening test.