The bowel screening programme helps to spot bowel cancer before symptoms start, when it’s most treatable. A screening kit will be sent to you in the post if you’re within the age range for the screening programme and registered with a GP.
What is bowel cancer screening?
The bowel cancer screening programmes uses a test called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT). For the test, you’ll collect a small amount of poo. This is sent to a lab where they’ll test for blood in your poo.
Screening can also help to find polyps (non-cancerous growths) which may be growing in the bowel. Polyps can become bowel cancer over time, screening can help to find them so they can be removed before they do.
The screening test will be sent to you in the post. You must be registered with a GP surgery and make sure that they have your correct home address. If you do not have a permanent home address, you can ask your GP surgery for your test kit to be sent to the GP surgery or to another address.
When will I receive the screening test?
The age at which you’ll start to receive this test in the post is different depending on where you live in the UK:
Bowel cancer screening in England
- If you’re aged between 50 and 74, you’ll be invited to take part in bowel cancer screening every two years. The bowel cancer screening programme has recently been rolled out to include people aged 50 and over, but because it’s been changed gradually some people will receive a test when they turn 52, depending on where they live and when their birthday is.
- If you’re aged 75 or over, you can ask for a screening test by calling the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60
Bowel cancer is more common in people over the age of 50, but it can affect anyone of any age. If you’re below the screening age and are worried you may have symptoms of bowel cancer, go to see your GP. They may give you an at-home test, known as a symptomatic FIT. This is similar to the bowel cancer screening test — it also looks for blood in your poo, but it’s only given if you have symptoms of bowel cancer.