Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
31 March 2016 09:41
Bowel cancer screening may help prevent the disease
A simple reminder letter could be the difference between some people surviving bowel cancer or dying from the disease, according to new research.
It finds that a bowel-screening memory jogger would lead to a greater take-up of the scans and subsequent faster diagnoses and better survival rates.
Study author Cancer Research UK (CRUK) says most people do not accept current offers of bowel scope screenings which could potentially save their life.
The one-off test is offered to people once they turn 55. It seeks to locate and eliminate polyps with the potential to develop into cancer.
Stat attack
CRUK says that:
• only 40-50% of people offered screenings go and have them done
• nearly one in five (30 out of 155) who originally ignored the first invitation booked an appointment after getting a reminder a year later. This reminder includes details of how they can reserve an appointment, pick their own date and time, and specify their preferred sex of tester
• the screening helps prevent two out of every 300 patients tested from developing bowel cancer
• the test stops one in every 300 patients screened from dying of bowel cancer
• bowel cancer remains the UK's second largest cancer killer
Holiday plans
Bowel or bladder cancer need not hamper people's travel plans.
Holidaymakers can take out bowel cancer-related travel insurance. This insurance can cover them for lost medication, round-the-clock medical attention and stolen travel documents and possessions.
What the experts say
University College London's Christian von Wagner wants further investigations into reminder letters to test their effectiveness.
Dr von Wagner, the report's lead author, says the letter is both simple and cheap.
CRUK's bowel cancer specialist Matt Seymour says such screenings can only be successful if patients actually arrive for their tests.
Prof Seymour says he is pleased to discover that just a simple reminder can make all the difference between people attending or staying at home.
He says it is key that people get easy-to-understand bowel screening information at their fingertips.
The British Journal of Cancer published the study.
16 October 2018
Patients with brain tumours lose out on almost £15,000 per year, a new report has revealed.
[more...]
13 October 2018
Chris Grayling has given his "categorial assurance" to Parliament that a no-deal Brexit will not ground flights in and out of the UK, despite recent warnings from experts that this remains a possibility.
12 October 2018
The rising cost of fuel could force more airlines out of business, the boss of easyJet has warned.
11 October 2018
The image of the boozy backpacker might be a thing of the past as a new study suggests more and more youngsters are shunning alcohol completely.
10 October 2018
The NHS says just one in 10 drinks sold in English hospitals will be sugar-sweetened, as part of its bid to curb rising obesity levels.
09 October 2018
More than 260,000 diabetes patients were put at risk of lasting harm or even death during hospital stays last year due to medication errors, a new report has revealed.
06 October 2018
NHS patients with a specific type of lymphoma will soon be able to access a "game-changing" new treatment, health officials have revealed.
05 October 2018
People living with diabetes are being warned they might be "unwittingly" storing their insulin incorrectly.
04 October 2018
The world's first commercial jet part-powered by a new form of biofuel touches down in London on Wednesday (3rd October).
03 October 2018
New 'hotel-style' carriages that were due to be rolled out for the Caledonian Sleeper have been delayed until next year.
02 October 2018
Budapest has been revealed as the cheapest destination for UK holidaymakers looking for a cultural break, according to a new report.
29 September 2018
Holidaymakers heading off by train will soon be able to check their blood pressure at the station, as part of a new scheme aimed at boosting the number of people getting checked.