The HSE has confirmed that the national bowel cancer screening programme has now been extended to include people aged 58.
BowelScreen, a free bowel cancer screening service, was originally launched in October 2023, reports Breaking News.
This marks the third expansion of the initiative, making screening available to men and women aged 58 to 70 — an estimated 60,000 additional people. Eligible individuals can expect their first invitation for bowel screening between their 58th and 60th birthdays, reports Breaking News.
Since 2023, around 110,000 people aged between 59 and 70 have received invitations from BowelScreen. The HSE also plans to widen the programme further to include people aged 55 to 74.
The goal of bowel screening is to help prevent cancer from developing by detecting early signs of the disease before symptoms appear, allowing for simpler treatment and better recovery outcomes, reports Breaking News.
Each year, approximately 2,500 people in Ireland are diagnosed with bowel cancer. It is currently the second most common cancer among men and the third most common among women.
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD said: “The inclusion of 58-year-olds in the latest phase will extend access to colorectal cancer screening to an additional 60,000 people across the country. I encourage all those eligible to take up their BowelScreen invitation, and to engage with our screening services,” reports Breaking News.
People can now use a new online system to check if they are registered with BowelScreen, update their contact details, check when their next test is due, and request a home testing kit.
The new online register is part of BowelScreen’s ongoing efforts to boost participation in the programme, reports Breaking News. The latest figures show an overall uptake rate of 46.4% — representing those invited over a two-year period who completed and returned their test — with nine out of ten participants opting to take the test again.
For more details, to confirm registration, or to request a screening kit, people can visit hse.ie/bowelscreen or call 1800 45 55 55, reports Breaking News.
BowelScreen Clinical Director Professor Pádraic Mac Mathúna, said: “Our primary goal in BowelScreen is to reduce mortality from bowel cancer. We prevent cancers from developing by finding and removing small growths (called polyps), which can turn into cancer if left untreated,” reports Breaking News.
“Every year, around 3,000 people have pre-cancerous growths removed because they did our BowelScreen test. These are all potential cancers prevented. In addition, if cancer is diagnosed through BowelScreen testing, it is more likely to be found at an early stage when treatment may lead to a better outcome. A screening test is not a diagnostic test – it looks for a level of blood in your sample. Not all cancers or polyps bleed all the time so a normal result does not guarantee that cancer isn’t present. This is why it is so important to be aware of symptoms of bowel cancer and go to your GP immediately, even if you had a recent normal screening result. Do not wait for your next screening test if you have any symptoms of bowel cancer,” reports Breaking News.
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