NEW videos featuring local GPs have been launched to encourage more people to take part in bowel cancer screening.
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, and to mark the campaign the NHS in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland has issued a series of videos demonstrating just how quick and easy it is to screen for signs of bowel cancer.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and is the second biggest cause of death from cancer. However, it is treatable, especially if it is diagnosed at an early stage. To facilitate early diagnosis, a screening kit is sent to people aged 50 to 74, every 2 years.
Although uptake for bowel cancer screening is increasing, it is still lower than for other national cancer screening programmes, and across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland the uptake is even lower than the national average, especially within Leicester.
Uptake of bowel cancer screening in Leicester varies significantly across different areas and demographic groups. This includes communities where residents do not read or write English, or where English is not their first language. Several parts of Leicester with lower screening participation also have higher proportions of multicultural residents. To help with this, the new videos are available in Gujarati and Urdu, as well as in English.
Prof. Nil Sanganee, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Integrated Care Board, said: “The test can be done in the comfort of your home and only needs a tiny sample of poo to test for signs of possible cancer. The samples are checked for tiny amounts of blood, which are not visible to the naked eye. This can be a sign of cancer, or of polyps which can turn into cancer over time.
“Screening can help prevent bowel cancer or find it at an early stage, when it’s easier to treat. Taking part in screening is an individual choice, but it must be a choice that’s equally available and accessible to everyone.”
Cllr Vi Dempster, assistant city mayor for health in Leicester, said: “It’s very important that everyone in Leicester is able to take up bowel cancer screening. By providing clearer, more accessible information and support, we can help ensure that everyone in our city has the same chance of benefitting from early detection. These new videos are an important step in helping more Leicester residents complete their kits and protect their health.
“We hope that the campaign will result in more people doing their test kits which, in turn, should result in lives saved by earlier detection of bowel cancer.”
For more information, see: https://leicesterleicestershireandrutland.icb.nhs.uk/your-health/bowel-screening/
ENDS