New NHS campaign urges Wigan people to use bowel cancer home testing kit

People in Wigan who have been sent life-saving home testing kits that can detect early signs of bowel cancer are being encouraged to use it and return it, as part of a new NHS campaign.
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The national campaign aims to increase uptake of the home testing kit, to ensure more people are diagnosed with bowel cancer at the earliest stage, when they’re nine times more likely to survive.

The campaign will highlight how quick and convenient it is to complete the test with the advert showing a man joyfully running around his house with toilet roll before completing the test. The ad ends by saying: “Put it by the loo. Don’t put it off."

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Latest North West data shows that 68.3 per cent of eligible 60 to 74-year-olds were screened within six months of receiving their invite in 2021/22, which is below the national average of 70.3 per cent.

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Bowel cancer test
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Last month, Wigan Today editor Charles Graham spoke with doctors about the importance of checking for symptoms of bowel cancer after his own battle with the disease.

It means that more than one in three eligible people in the region did not return their completed test kits.

Each month, the NHS posts out more than half a million free Faecal Immunochemical Test kits (FIT) to people to use in the privacy of their homes.

Dr Michael Gregory, Medical Director at NHS England - North WestDr Michael Gregory, Medical Director at NHS England - North West
Dr Michael Gregory, Medical Director at NHS England - North West
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The FIT kit detects small amounts of blood in poo that would not be visible to people, and detects earlier if there is something wrong.

People aged 60 to 74 years who are registered with a GP practice and live in England are automatically sent a FIT kit every two years.

As part of plans to lower the age of people that receive the test to age 50 by 2025, 58-year-olds are sent the test kit and it is currently being rolled out to 56-year-olds.

The FIT kit is quicker to use than the previous bowel cancer screening home testing kit. To use it, people simply need to collect a tiny sample of poo using the plastic stick provided, pop it in the sample bottle; and send it free of charge to the NHS for tests in a laboratory.

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In the North West, the charity Cancer Research UK is providing some additional resources to encourage uptake, including information and resources for health professionals and equipment for patients.

NHS chiefs have urged people not to be “prudish about poo”, with people often reluctant to talk about it as a possible bowel cancer symptom due to embarrassment.

Dr Michael Gregory, Medical Director at NHS England - North West said: “The Fit Kit is a vital part of our screening programme, and one of the best ways we can detect bowel cancer early, when it is more treatable.

“We know that there can be some hesitancy, and some people are prudish about poo, but the home testing kit means that eligible people can quickly complete the test in the privacy of their own homes.

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“If caught at an early stage, bowel cancer is much more manageable, so I’d urge anyone who has received their Fit Kit to put it by the loo, and don’t put it off.”

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, and the second biggest cancer killer. But the chances of surviving bowel cancer are much higher when it’s found at an early stage.

People concerned that they may have missed their invitation or have lost or thrown away their kit can call the free bowel cancer screening helpline for advice on 0800 707 60 60.

Information on bowel cancer and the screening programme can be found at: nhs.uk/bowel-screening.