ECPC Press Release - 2 August 2005

London 2 August 2005. Europe took a welcome step towards implementing the Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening when on 2 August 2005, the UK government launched its new Bowel Cancer Screening programme – bowel cancer is also known as colon and colorectal cancer. The UK is one of the first EU countries to set up a national screening initiative in line with the Council recommendations. Health Minister, Rosie Winterton, unveiled this new programme, to be rolled out over the next couple of years. Preventing cancer through population based screening programmes will help reduce death. Research has shown that screening men and women for bowel cancer can reduce the mortality rate from this cancer by 15 % in those screened.

Colorectal cancer is the second largest cause of cancer death in the EU, but it is also the second most preventable cancer after lung cancer. Bowel cancer affects more than one in 20 people in their lifetime, but if detected early 90% will survive. Prevention and early detection are key factors in controlling and curing colorectal cancer. When the cancer is found early, initial treatment can often lead to an excellent outcome.

In England the National Health Service will sent home testing kits to around two million people in the target age group of 60 – 69 years to enable them to do the test in the privacy of their homes. The test kit will then be analysed by designated laboratories. It is hoped that this will raise the levels of awareness about bowel cancer prevention, signs and symptoms, and also tackle the reluctance of people talking to their family doctor.

With this launch, the Council Recommendation on cancer screening adopted in 2003, brings new hope to EU citizens that Member States will follow the UK example and implement effective screening programmes that will save lives.

In the UK about 35.000 new cases are diagnosed each year and in 2003 over  16 000 people died from the disease. In eastern European countries the incidence of colorectal cancer has increased rapidly which is particularly alarming since rates there were originally lower than in Western Europe. Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have the highest cancer incidence rates for men. Women fare badly in Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Hungary.

European Cancer Patient Coalition chair and colorectal cancer survivor, Lynn Faulds Wood, was invited by the Department of Health to help announce their National Bowel Screening Programme: "I’m lucky that I survived advanced bowel cancer but luck isn’t good enough. Screening, in my opinion, is the best way to save lives from this common cancer and I am delighted that the Department of Health is launching its bowel cancer screening programme - it will prevent many, many thousands of people from dying or developing advanced cancer over the years."

Useful questions to ask

How can I improve my lifestyle to reduce my risk of developing bowel cancer?

• Eat a healthy diet. This means eating lots of fruit, vegetables, wholegrain foods and fish and less fat, red and processed meat.
• Take regular exercise and try to keep a healthy weight.
• Stop smoking.
• Cut back on alcohol.
• Know your body and how it usually functions so that you recognise changes in your bowel habits.
  

What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?

Not everyone will have symptoms and the symptoms may vary. The most common symptoms to look out for are:

• A persistent change in bowel habit (going to the toilet more often, looser stools) especially with rectal bleeding lasting for several weeks
• A persistent change in bowel habits without bleeding
• Bleeding from the bottom without any reason.
• A lump in your tummy which can be felt by the doctor.
• Anaemia in men & post menopausal women should be investigated for bowel cancer.

Please remember that most of these symptoms will not be cancer. If you have one or more of these symptoms for more than four to six weeks you should go and see your doctor.

For more information please contact:

ECPC, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it