Bowel screening is saving lives

The Altnagelvin gastroenterologist told the Sentinel that between April 2010 and September 2011, 250 patients screened at the hospital had delivered positive stool tests; that over half of these had adenomas; and that 24 had bowel cancer.

However, 54 per cent of the cancers were discovered at an early stage thanks to the screening programme compared with only 10 per cent of bowel cancers which are diagnosed after patients develop symptoms.

Dr Dickey said Health Minister Edwin Poots’ recent announcement that from April 2012, men and women in Northern Ireland up to the age of 71 will be eligible for bowel cancer screening was a welcome move..

He said: “Bowel cancer is extremely common in Northern Ireland, with approximately 1,000 new diagnoses made every year and around 400 patients dying from it.

“Most bowel cancers start as benign polyps (adenomas), which over the course of years turn into cancers. Screening, which tests people before symptoms develop, aims firstly to detect bowel cancer at an early stage when treatment is much more successful and secondly to diagnose polyps which can be removed at colonoscopy before they turn malignant.”

Dr Dickey continued: “The Western Trust was one of two healthcare Trusts in Northern Ireland ready to start bowel cancer screening in April 2010. The initial target population was 60-69 years.

“People in this age group are invited to submit stool samples which are tested for blood traces. Around 20 out of every 1000 people tested will have a positive result and will be invited for further testing, usually by colonoscopy which is an endoscopic examination of the bowel. This is performed at the Endoscopy Unit in Altnagelvin, a key part of the Diagnostics and Cancer Services Division.

“By September 2011, 250 participants with positive stool tests had undergone colon investigation. Over half of these had adenomas and 10 per cent (24 patients) had bowel cancer. Importantly, over half (54 per cent) of the cancers were early stage, compared with only 10 per cent of bowel cancers which are diagnosed after patients develop symptoms.

“These results are extremely encouraging and confirm that screening improves outcomes, both through the diagnosis of cancer early and by the prevention of cancer through removal of polyps. Eighty percent of bowel cancers develop in people aged 60 and over.

“We welcome the recent announcement by the Health Minister that the age range for screening will be widened to 60-71 by April 2012, with the intention of further extension to 74 by 2014. The benefits of the screening programme are clear and we look forward to offering them to a wider age group.”

Last week Mr Poots stated his intention that by 2014/15, the screening programme will be extended to include men and women up to the age of 74 across all Trusts, as included in the draft Programme for Government 2011-15, currently out for public consultation.

The Minister said: “Bowel Cancer is the third most common cancer in Northern Ireland, with approximately 1,000 people diagnosed each year and around 400 dying from it.

“Over 80 per cent of cases occur in people who are aged 60 and over and symptoms often develop late in the disease, leaving limited scope for treatment and potential cure.

“The extension of the bowel cancer screening programme to include men and women up to the age of 71 from April 2012, moving up to age 74 from April 2014, will save more lives and I would encourage everyone who is eligible for screening to take part.

“Bowel cancer screening allows early detection and treatment, significantly improving outcomes for those with the disease. When detected at a very early stage, treatment for bowel cancer can be 90% successful.”

The programme, which was launched in April 2010, has been rolled out on a phased basis, initially offered screening to all those eligible aged between 60 and 69. Bowel cancer screening will be in place across all Health and Social Care Trusts from January 2012.

All men and women eligible for screening will receive a testing kit for them to complete at home. The kit is used to detect traces of blood in the bowel motion, which indicates that further tests need to be carried out. Most people who are tested will have a negative result and will be invited to repeat the screening test again in two years time.

Around 10 people in every 500 who complete the test kit will have a positive result and will be invited for further tests. On average only one of these cases will have bowel cancer.