The aim is to find diseases at an early stage when there is a better chance of a person being successfully treated. Screening is not a diagnostic test. Finding an abnormal result in screening may show that a person is at risk of a disease. Further tests will be needed to make an accurate diagnosis.
Bowel cancer is a major public health problem.
It is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the United Kingdom. Research has shown that screening for bowel cancer can help reduce death rates by finding and treating bowel cancer early. Nationally, screening for bowel cancer could save approximately 2,500 lives each year. Patients whose cancer is discovered early have more treatment options and a better long term outlook. The NSC recommended to Ministers that pilot screening projects be organised to test the acceptability and feasibility of achieving the necessary levels of quality required to reduce mortality without significant adverse effects.