Why screen for bowel cancer? 
Bowel cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer in Scotland, with 3,439 new cases in 2006. After lung cancer it is the second biggest cancer killer in Scotland with 1,539 deaths from the disease in 2007. Incidence decreased by 10% in men and 10.5% in women between 1996 and 2006.
Scottish Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot
The Scottish Bowel Screening Pilot commenced in April 2000 in Tayside, Grampian and Fife NHS Boards. All men and women registered with a GP Practice aged 50-69 years were invited to participate and to be screened every two years. The pilot programme finished in May 2007.
The pilot has shown that for every 100,000 people invited for screening we can expect to detect around 100 cancers and 300 pre-cancerous lesions. Once the programme is fully implemented we aim to reduce mortality rates in the target population by at least 15%, potentially preventing over 150 lives being lost to bowel cancer each year.
Scottish Bowel Cancer Screening Programme
A Scottish Bowel Cancer Screening Programme for all eligible men and women aged between 50 and 74 is being rolled out across the country from June 2007. All individuals will be invited to complete a test kit at home every 2 years. Kits are returned by post and will be screened at a central laboratory, call/recall and helpline facility based in Dundee. Results will be sent out within 2 weeks. A 'positive' result means blood has been found in the returned sample bit it is still unlikely the individual has bowel cancer. The person is offered an appointment with a trained nurse who will explain what happens next, including details of any further investigations. All NHS Boards will be involved in the programme by December 2009.
To find out more about the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and when screening will start in your NHS Board area please visit http://www.bowelscreening.scot.nhs.uk/.
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