New Cancer Test

It's hoped a new bowel cancer test will help drive up survival rates across the Kingdom.

The FIT home screening test requires participants to return just one sample, instead of three, and will be introduced over the next two years.

Approximately 56% of Scots, aged between 50 and 74, currently take a test every three years.

Figures show bowel cancer is Scotland's second biggest killer, with nearly 4, 000 people diagnosed with the disease every year.

Deborah Alsina, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said, "We very much welcome the introduction of the new FIT home screening kit which is a positive step for Scotland in encouraging even more people to participate in screening.  It's a move that we would like to see replicated in other parts of the UK.  It's critical that more lives are saved by ensuring higher levels of participation in screening, early diagnosis really does save lives."
 
Professor Robert Steele, Director of the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme, added: "The bold approach of DCE has helped break down barriers people face when it comes to talking about 'down there' and resulted in even more bowel screening kits being requested and returned than ever before.
 
"It's fair to say that Scotland has taken several strides in the last three years towards making bowel screening a social norm and we expect the introduction of the new bowel screening test will continue to drive uptake rates in the national screening programme, saving more lives."

Emma Anderson, Bowel Cancer UK, said: "Before DCE the topic of bowel cancer was a hard thing to raise. Since the campaign people are openly talking to us, asking questions and telling us about their experiences. It's helped normalise what was an otherwise difficult topic."