Dumfries and Galloway surpass Scottish average for bowel cancer screening
An opportunity for bowel cancer awareness as screening rates rise
Recent statistics from Bowel Cancer UK have shown promising bowel cancer screening uptake figures for Dumfries and Galloway, revealing that 69.6% of those eligible completed their screening.
This places the Dumfries and Galloway health board above the national average, with Scotland achieving an overall screening uptake rate of 65.7%.
According to Bowel Cancer UK, while Scotland has made significant advancements in screening since the introduction of the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) in 2017, there remains room for improvement in participation.
Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK, highlighted the importance of screening: "While there’s been great work to date when it comes to people taking part in bowel cancer screening. these figures show that there’s still room to improve screening uptake even further.
"Bowel cancer is Scotland’s third most common cancer, but screening is one of the best ways to spot the disease early or remove polyps that might develop into cancer. The earlier bowel cancer is found, the more treatable it’s likely to be, with more than 9 in 10 people surviving the disease when diagnosed at the earliest stage."
As Bowel Cancer Awareness Month approaches this April, Bowel Cancer UK urges all individuals receiving a free screening kit to complete and return it promptly. This proactive approach is essential, given the silent nature of bowel cancer and the fact that symptoms are not always present.