East Lancs Welcomes Life-Saving Cancer Screening, England

Main Category: Colorectal Cancer
Also Included In: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 19 Feb 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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East Lancashire Hospitals has now rolled out the Lancashire Bowel Screening Programme and is offering vital testing for local people aged 60 to 69 years in a bid to save lives from this aggressive illness. The hospitals' Endoscopy Unit was successful in its bid to carry out this work and it aims to pick up bowel cancer at an early stage, in people with no symptoms and when treatment is more likely to be effective. Known as the 'silent killer', it affects about one in 20 people during their lifetime and screening can reduce the mortality rate from bowel cancer by 16%.

Invites to obtain a self-testing kit were sent out on 5 January 2009 to all those who were eligible. Of the tests that are returned any patients with an abnormal sample are seen by a specialist screening practitioner from the Lancashire Bowel Cancer screening program. The first East Lancs patient will be seen during the first week of February - less than a month since the invite was sent. Patients will then receive a colonoscopy, if required, within two weeks.

Dr Mark Hendrickse Clinical Director for the Lancashire Bowel Cancer Screening Programme said, "I am delighted that we are able to roll out the screening programme at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust thanks to their hard work and excellent team leadership. By implementing this at East Lancashire it enables the screening programme to cover the communities covered by NHS East Lancashire and NHS Blackburn with Darwen."

He explained: "Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK with approximately 16,000 people dying from the disease each year. However, most bowel cancers can be successfully treated if detected early. Screening is extremely important and potentially life-saving. Research has proven that regular bowel cancer screening can reduce deaths by as much as 16%."

"The subject of bowels and bowel screening can often be embarrassing or uncomfortable for many people to talk about, but I would really encourage those who receive a test to complete it."

The good news says Dr. Hendrickse is that for the majority of people, the results of the test will be normal. Around 98 in 100 people will receive a normal result and will simply be invited for routine screening every two years, if still within the eligible age range. Even if it is not, bowel cancer is one of the most curable cancers if caught early enough.

He added: "An abnormal result does not mean that cancer is present, but that the test may need repeating. Most people, who repeat the test, then go on to receive a normal result. Those that don't will be invited for further investigation. For those who do go on to need treatment, bowel cancer is one of the most curable cancers if caught early enough."

Jane Grassham, Operational Manager for Endoscopy at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "We are extremely proud to be offering to this service to people across East Lancashire. Bowel cancer is the second largest cause of cancer deaths in the UK, claiming almost 50 lives every day .It is essential to pick up the disease early to treat the disease successfully .Of those who get the disease 90% of people will survive if it is caught early."

"Through excellent leadership and teamwork, our Endoscopy Unit has been given the national seal of approval to carry out this important work. I hope this offers reassurance to the community that we do not just wait for people to become ill, we want to catch cancer early enough so that treatment can be started as soon as possible. I urge people within the age range to return their test kits so that we can help set minds at rest and if necessary begin treatment to achieve the best possible outcome."

East Lancashire Hospital Trust