Colorectal cancer

Bowel cancer screening reduces the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16 per cent

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/bowel/?a=5441#screening

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/bowel/incidence/

http://www.touchgastroenterology.com/bowel-cancer-screening-a1908-1.html

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide – over a million new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed in 2002, accounting for more than 9% of all new cancer cases. Over half of all colorectal cancers occur in developed regions such as Europe, Northern America and Australasia; about a third occur in developing countries such as Asia.

Bowel cancer screening aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage (in people with no symptoms), when treatment is more likely to be effective. For this reason, screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16 per cent.

Bowel cancer screening can also detect polyps, which may develop into cancers over time. These can easily be removed, reducing the risk of bowel cancer developing.

Countries that have introduced bowel cancer screening include the USA and the UK. A National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme – the first of its kind in Europe – is currently being rolled out across the UK. It offers screening every two years to all men and women aged 60 to 69. People over 70 can request a screening kit by calling a dedicated helpline. Further informaiton

In the UK, about one in 20 people will develop bowel cancer during their lifetime. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths, affecting over 16,000 people each year. If just 60% of those eligible took part in the bowel-screening programme, it could save a possible 20,000 lives over the next 20 years.

For more information about policies and actions directed at preventing cancer at international, national or local levels, please consult our new policy report Policy and Action for Cancer Prevention.

New cases of bowel cancer diagnosed in 2002

Source: GLOBOCAN 2002 (www-dep.iarc.fr)