The Sun calls for bowel cancer screening to start at 50 NOT 60 as we launch campaign to save thousands of lives
IMAGINE if a simple test could save more than 4,500 lives every year – and the NHS millions of pounds. Well, it could.
Which is why The Sun is today launching the No Time 2 Lose campaign, calling on the Government to lower the bowel cancer screening age from 60 to 50.
It’s the UK’s 2nd deadliest cancer, claiming 16,000 lives a year, but it CAN be cured – if it’s caught early enough.
Fewer than one in ten people survive bowel cancer if it’s picked up at stage 4, but detected quickly, more than nine in ten patients will live five years or longer.
That’s why The Sun wants to see a simple poo test offered to everyone, every two years, from their 50th birthday.
At the moment, Brits are subject to a postcode lottery, with those living in Scotland screened from 50.
But south of the border in England, and in Wales and Northern Ireland, those tests aren’t offered until 60 – resulting in thousands of needless deaths.
Our No Time 2 Lose campaign is calling for:
- the Government to lower the screening age from 60 to 50 – as it is in Scotland
- every Brit to know the five red-flag signs of bowel cancer
And we want you to dig deep and help raise money for and – who work tirelessly to beat this disease.
Screening saves lives
WE'RE FIGHTING FOR FAIR SCREENING FOR ALL BRITS
Our No Time 2 Lose campaign is calling for
- the Government to lower the screening age from 60 to 50 – as it is in Scotland
- every Brit to know the five red-flag signs of bowel cancer
And we want you to dig deep and help raise money for Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer – who work tirelessly to beat this disease. Donate .
Lowering the screening age could save mums like Fiona Backler, who died of bowel cancer at 55, just three months after she was diagnosed.
Her daughter Lauren is joining forces with us and charities today shouting from the rooftops to put pressure on the Prime Minister and the Department of Health to take action now.
The 27-year-old believes her mum would still be here today had she lived in Scotland, where screening starts at 50 already.
It’s not right that where you live can mean the difference between life and death…it did for my mum
Lauren Backler
We say it’s time to end the postcode lottery and give all Brits a fighting chance to beat this disease.
In the aftermath of her mum’s death, she channelled her anger, turning it into a positive force
With more than 440,000 signatures, she took the petition to the Department of Health in Westminster today, calling for change to save lives.
“It’s not right that where you live can mean the difference between life and death,” Lauren told The Sun. “But it did for my mum.
“Screening would’ve given her a fighting chance. But as it was, she had no chance.”
Screening could save the NHS millions
Screening from 50 rather than 60 would not only save lives, but also the NHS serious cash, ex-health secretary Andrew Lansley said today.
At the age of 61 he was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer after his wife nagged him to go to their GP – he had no classic symptoms.
Doctors told him his tumours had been growing for some time – during his 50s, when screening from 50 could have caught them.
Backing The Sun’s campaign, the former minister said: “By preventing cancer and through early diagnosis, we can save lives and money.
It will save lives and improve outcomes for patients, and also save money for the NHS in treating later-stage bowel cancers
Andrew Lansley
“It will require an upfront cost to invest in the pathology and endoscopy workforce but by detecting more cancers early or preventing them altogether, it will lead to savings.
“It will save lives and improve outcomes for patients, and also save money for the NHS in treating later-stage bowel cancers.
“The number of people dying is still far too high.
“People often say with cancer that the best hope you can have is to live with it.
“But the best you can hope for is to be diagnosed early and be cured – it makes a huge difference.”
IT'S A NO BRAINER...SCREEN AT 50 NOT 60
LAUREN Backler’s MP has supported her from day one, and is today giving his backing to The Sun’s No Time 2 Lose campaign.
Stephen Lloyd said the argument for lowering the screening age to 50 is backed by research.
“This really is a no-brainer, we need to get the screening age down,” he told The Sun.
“I believe that NHS England are worried they don’t have the capacity to do it.
“I understand their challenge but my concern is the experts and specialists tell me that thousands of lives are being lost by continuing to have a screening at 60. It’s astonishing.
“My answer to the Department of Health is – find the capacity.
“We are not making this up, this isn’t the hyperbole of politics and the media. This is working in Scotland.
“Lauren has done an astonishing job in leading on the petition.
“It’s got more than 400,000 signatures – her mother would be incredibly proud of her, as I am.
“I think it’s incumbent now on the Department of Health to accept what is clearly clinically driven and make those changes.”
We want to give everyone a fighting chance of beating this disease – so are urging everyone to learn the five red-flag signs
Give people a fighting chance
Deborah Alsina, CEO of Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer, said the stark statistics speak for themselves.
If diagnosed at stage 1, people have a 97 per cent chance of surviving for five years or more.
But, for those diagnosed at stage 4, that chance plummets to just seven per cent.
“There are 4,700 people diagnosed with bowel cancer in their 50s every year,” she told The Sun.
By lowering the screening age we have a real opportunity to prevent cancer from developing – AND catch tumours in their earliest stages
Deborah Alsina, CEO, Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer
“In addition, it can take seven to ten years for pre-cancerous polyps (lumps) to grow and turn into a tumour.
“We know there’s a sharp rise in people diagnosed in their 60s – when the current screening programme starts.
“But in most cases their cancer will have been growing inside them during their 50s.
“So by lowering the screening age we have a real opportunity to prevent cancer from developing – AND catch tumours in their earliest stages.
“Prevention is even better than early diagnosis. That’s why this is so important.”
Let’s break the poo taboo
Bowel cancer by numbers...
2 – bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer
4 – it’s the fourth most common form of cancer
42,000 – people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year
1,300 – people will lose their lives this month to the disease
15,903 – lives will be lost this year to bowel cancer
44 – people die every day
30 – that’s one bowel cancer patient every 30 minutes
15 – every 15 minutes someone is told they have bowel cancer
97 – 97 per cent of people diagnosed in the earliest stages will survive for five years or more
7 – only seven per cent survive when diangnosed at the latest stage
60 – 83 per cent of people who get bowel cancer are over the age of 60
50 – it’s more common over the age of 50 but ANYONE can get bowel cancer, you’re never too young
2,500 – the number of under 50s diagnosed each year
268,000 – people living with bowel cancer in the UK
But it’s not just lowering the screening age that can help – awareness of the symptoms is vital if more people are to survive.
The Sun’s Things Cancer Made Me Say columnist Deborah James, who at the age of 35 was told she had stage 4 bowel cancer, is backing the No Time 2 Lose campaign.
She’s calling on people to learn the red-flag signs of the disease – from blood in your poo to changing loo habits.
By learning the signs you’re arming yourself with the knowledge that could save your life, or that of a loved one
Deborah James
“It’s important we break down the taboo around poo,” she said.
“We all know we should be groping our boobs and balls for signs of rogue lumps that could be breast or testicular cancer.
“But, it’s vital that you all add one more DIY health check – keep an eye on your number twos.
“We’re not asking for scientific levels of scrutiny, but a quick glance every now and then.
“By learning the signs you’re arming yourself with the knowledge that could save your life, or that of a loved one.”
Public Health England said while they can’t comment on individual stories, they “are sorry to hear about Lauren Backler’s mother”.
A spokeswoman said in England the current evidence from the UK National Screening Committee suggests bowel cancer screening starts at the age of 60.
Prof Anne Mackie, director of programmes for the UK NSC said: “The UK’s independent screening committee is currently consulting on some possible changes to the current bowel cancer screening programme.
“This includes starting screening at an earlier age. All comments will be considered by the committee ahead of its formal recommendation.”
Together we can beat bowel cancer, thousands of lives are on the line…there really is No Time 2 Lose.
Back The Sun’s No Time 2 Lose campaign, tell us why you want to see screening at 50 and share your stories.
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