England to start national bowel cancer screening programme
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《英国医生杂志》
A national screening programme for bowel cancer will be introduced in England from April 2006, the health secretary, John Reid, announced last week.
The government first announced its aim to introduce bowel cancer screening in the NHS plan in 2000. Pilots of a screening method based on looking for blood in stools then began in test sites in 2001, as a result of evidence that using this method could cut the death rate from bowel cancer by 15%. Two methods of screening were piloted—faecal occult blood testing, which looks for blood in stool samples, and flexible sigmoidoscopy, which allows careful examination of the bowel.
Character Diane Blackstock (above), of ITV's Emmerdale, is learning to live with a stoma bag after her operation for bowel cancer
Credit: ITV
Results of the pilot studies showed that faecal occult blood testing would detect one or two bowel cancers for every 1000 people screened, with an additional three or four people having polyps removed that might have gone on to develop into cancers. This could potentially prevent about 1200 deaths from bowel cancer each year in England. The trial looking at flexible sigmoidoscopy is still continuing.
The pilots showed high levels of acceptance of faecal occult blood testing, with uptake of close to the target of 60%, although rates were lower in men, those from more deprived areas, and those from certain ethnic groups.
A national screening programme based on faecal occult blood testing will be introduced in phases among men and women in their 60s from April 2006. Final decisions have still to be made on exact ages of participants.
In a similar way to the pilot studies, people will be sent a testing kit through the post. They will smear a small sample of stool onto a piece of card and send the card back to the testing centre. Those testing positive for blood will then be further investigated with colonoscopy. It will be the first cancer screening programme in England to include men as well as women and one of the first national screening programmes for bowel cancer in Europe.
Professor Robert Souhami, director of policy and communication with Cancer Research UK, commented: "There is no doubt that bowel screening can save lives. Both flexible sigmoidoscopy and faecal occult blood testing offer considerable opportunities for early detection and more successful treatment."
Announcing the ￡37.5m ($69m; 54m) programme at the Britain Against Cancer conference last week, Mr Reid said: "Preventing cancer and improving services for those who develop the disease continues to be a priority for this government, and we have already made significant progress in reducing deaths from cancer."(Susan Mayor)
The government first announced its aim to introduce bowel cancer screening in the NHS plan in 2000. Pilots of a screening method based on looking for blood in stools then began in test sites in 2001, as a result of evidence that using this method could cut the death rate from bowel cancer by 15%. Two methods of screening were piloted—faecal occult blood testing, which looks for blood in stool samples, and flexible sigmoidoscopy, which allows careful examination of the bowel.
Character Diane Blackstock (above), of ITV's Emmerdale, is learning to live with a stoma bag after her operation for bowel cancer
Credit: ITV
Results of the pilot studies showed that faecal occult blood testing would detect one or two bowel cancers for every 1000 people screened, with an additional three or four people having polyps removed that might have gone on to develop into cancers. This could potentially prevent about 1200 deaths from bowel cancer each year in England. The trial looking at flexible sigmoidoscopy is still continuing.
The pilots showed high levels of acceptance of faecal occult blood testing, with uptake of close to the target of 60%, although rates were lower in men, those from more deprived areas, and those from certain ethnic groups.
A national screening programme based on faecal occult blood testing will be introduced in phases among men and women in their 60s from April 2006. Final decisions have still to be made on exact ages of participants.
In a similar way to the pilot studies, people will be sent a testing kit through the post. They will smear a small sample of stool onto a piece of card and send the card back to the testing centre. Those testing positive for blood will then be further investigated with colonoscopy. It will be the first cancer screening programme in England to include men as well as women and one of the first national screening programmes for bowel cancer in Europe.
Professor Robert Souhami, director of policy and communication with Cancer Research UK, commented: "There is no doubt that bowel screening can save lives. Both flexible sigmoidoscopy and faecal occult blood testing offer considerable opportunities for early detection and more successful treatment."
Announcing the ￡37.5m ($69m; 54m) programme at the Britain Against Cancer conference last week, Mr Reid said: "Preventing cancer and improving services for those who develop the disease continues to be a priority for this government, and we have already made significant progress in reducing deaths from cancer."(Susan Mayor)