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Bowel Cancer Screening aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be effective. Approximately 1 in 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer during their lifetime. It is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second leading cause of cancer deaths with over 17,000 people dying from it each year. Regular screening has shown to reduce the risk of dying by 16%.
Somerset Bowel Cancer Screening is based at Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil District Hospital. It is part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.
Screening is offered every 2 years to both men and women aged 50 and 74 who are registered with a GP.
If you are aged 75 or over, you can opt in to the programme by calling the Freephone helpline on 0800 707 6060.
You will be initially sent an invitation letter along with an information leaflet explaining screening and its possible benefits and risks. A week later you will receive your FIT kit with instructions on how to complete it. Your results will be sent to you around 2 weeks after returning your completed kit.
If your result show that further tests are required, you will be invited to an appointment with a Specialist Screening Practitioner to discuss having a colonoscopy. An abnormal result doesn’t mean you have cancer. Around 2 in 100 people receive an abnormal result.
If your result shows no further test required, we advise looking out for any symptoms. You should be aware of these between your screening kits. If you get any of these symptoms, you should contact your GP.
The symptoms to look out for: