Bowel Cancer Screening Posted or Updated on 4 Apr 2024

Is your bowel cancer screening kit sitting at the back of a drawer?

If you're 56 to 74, you should have received your bowel cancer screening kit through the post. That's because the NHS automatically sends a kit every two years to people in that age group. 

Nine out of every 5,000 people who use their kit turn out to have cancer. But if it's spotted early, the chances of recovering from bowel cancer are higher. 

The test can be done in the comfort of your own home and only needs a tiny sample of poo to test for signs of cancer. 

So, keep an eye out for your bowel cancer testing kit in the post, or dig it out the one that put away in that drawer and forgot about. And then put it by the loo. Don't put it off. 

Find out more about bowel cancer screening at www.nhs.uk/bowel.