Health Secretary urges men over 60 to take up free bowel cancer tests

Well being Secretary Sajid Javid, whose father died of bowel most cancers, has urged males over 60 to take free exams which display for the illness.

Almost 43,000 persons are recognized with bowel most cancers within the UK every year, with 16,500 deaths yearly, making it some of the widespread cancers in England. It principally impacts these aged over 60.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid
Well being Secretary Sajid Javid
James Manning / PA

However the NHS mentioned only one in 20 would go to the physician if they'd signs, with males much less more likely to take up screening than ladies – 47%, in comparison with 56% of ladies.

Mr Javid mentioned: “I do know all too properly how devastating this illness is having misplaced my dad to bowel most cancers 10 years in the past. If he had been recognized earlier, he should be with us as we speak.”

This summer season the Authorities is predicted to set out its 10-12 months Most cancers Plan, which can concentrate on growing the variety of individuals recognized at an early stage, growing the most cancers workforce, and tackling disparities and inequalities in healthcare.

REUTERS/Tom Nicholson
REUTERS/Tom Nicholson
TOM NICHOLSON

Mr Javid added: “In addition to launching a 10-year Most cancers Plan to ship world-leading most cancers care, I need to see extra eligible individuals coming ahead for bowel most cancers screening, which saves at the least 2,500 lives yearly.”

A house testing package referred to as the Faecal Immunochemical Check (FIT) is routinely despatched to individuals aged 60-74 each two years and is fast to make use of, which means sufferers don't have to go to hospital for screening.

If the take a look at finds something uncommon, individuals could also be requested to have additional exams to verify or rule out most cancers.

The NHS says this common screening for most cancers reduces the chance of dying from bowel most cancers by at the least 25%.

The Authorities mentioned it's also investing £2.3 billion to roll out 160 Group Diagnostic Centres, which provide sufferers speedy entry to scientific exams and checks, 81 of which have already opened.

The NHS mentioned the centres have already delivered 775,000 extra exams and, by 2025, it goals to have the ability to perform 9 million, serving to to cut back ready occasions in order that 95% of sufferers will obtain exams inside six weeks.

Whereas some points of the bowel most cancers screening programme have been paused throughout the first wave of the pandemic, the well being service mentioned screening centres at the moment are sending out invites at charges of greater than 100% of pre-Covid ranges.

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