Bowel Cancer Screening

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK. Screening is offered every two years to all men and women aged 60 to 74 who are most at risk.  A home testing kit that is posted out to you. Please complete and return your testing kit which could save your life as it gives us the chance to detect the disease in its early stages.

Bowel screening is offered to men and women aged 50 to 74 across Scotland to help find bowel cancer early when it can often be cured. You’re 14 times more likely to survive bowel cancer if it’s found early.

Half a million people in Scotland do their bowel screening test each year.

What does it involve?

Bowel screening involves taking a simple test at home every 2 years. The test looks for hidden blood in your poo, as this could mean a higher chance of bowel cancer.

The aim of the test is to find:

  • bowel cancer at an early stage in people with no symptoms
  • other changes in the bowel, such as pre-cancerous growths called ‘polyps’

Most bowel polyps can be removed easily, which can prevent cancer from developing.