Cancer test backed by patient jim

Mar 27 2009 by Kaiya Marjoribanks, Stirling Observer Friday

A KILLEARN man is encouraging people to take advantage of bowel cancer screening after he had to be checked for the disease.

Almost 50,000 testing kits have been sent out in the first year of the bowel screening programme in Forth Valley.

And around 10 people a week are being referred to Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary for further assessment, meaning that any problems can be identified early.

One of those who needed further investigations was Jim Smith from Killearn.

He said: “It was much better than private treatment which I had some years ago. I didn’t have to go back to hear the results of my test. I was told while having a cup of tea after the procedure.

“The nurse explained it was polyps and told me I had absolutely nothing to worry about and to go and enjoy the rest of my life. My wife and I went for a meal to celebrate.

“I would advise people to definitely take the screening test. Even if they do find something, it can be treated if it is caught early.”

The latest figures have been released to coincide with Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in April.

Evidence shows that survival from bowel cancer in Scotland is improving year on year, with the screening programme contributing significantly to this trend.

NHS Forth Valley consultant in public health Rani Balendra said: “The patient response has been excellent. The programme has the chance to reduce deaths from bowel cancer by 15 per cent which means it could prevent 150 deaths from the disease each year in Scotland.

“Early detection means there is a 90 per cent chance of treating bowel cancer successfully and regular screening can also pick up pre-cancerous changes which can be easily dealt with.”

Bowel cancer (or colorectal cancer) is a major public health problem in Scotland, which has a higher rate of bowel cancer than most other countries in the western world. In Scotland it is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women, with around 3400 new cases a year. Ninety-five per cent of these cases occur in people over the age of 50.

The screening programme targets men and women between the ages of 50 and 74, who will receive a testing kit at their home.

Samples are then returned to the National Bowel Screening Centre in Dundee and patients are notified of the results within two weeks.

Monitored

People aged between 50 and 74 will receive a testing kit every two years. The uptake is being monitored area wide and efforts are continuing to persuade hard-to-reach groups to take up the offer. These include ethnic minorities, people living in poorer areas, the disabled and travellers.

Anyone experiencing possible symptoms of bowel cancer such as change in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, or severe colicky stomach pain which comes on suddenly and persists, should not wait to receive a sample kit, but should contact their GP immediately.