Bowel cancer patient calls for lower screening age

Sammy Kean from Jersey said her "life has changed dramatically" since being diagnosed with bowel cancer

The age that bowel cancer screening starts in the Channel Islands should be lowered, according to someone who has the disease.

Sammy Kean, from Jersey, said her "life has changed dramatically" since being diagnosed with bowel cancer three years ago when she was 29.

"With breakthroughs in treatment and a lower screening age we can catch things early," Ms Kean said.

Guernsey's Public Health said nine out of 10 people survive bowel cancer if it was found and treated early. It said it was "actively exploring the possibility" of extending the age range.

Sammy Kean wants screening ages lowered for bowel cancer testing

She said: "It's no longer an older person's disease and it's scary how many young people's symptoms and side effects are being dismissed as irritable bowel syndrome, or stress, or hormones.

"And then that means you know the disease is progressing and then often caught at a later stage."

Dr Nicola Brink, Guernsey's director of Public Health, said it was "too early to confirm when a decision might be reached" on extending the age range of bowel cancer screening but it was "actively exploring the possibility".

Poor diet including eating too much processed meat and not enough fibre, and obesity, can increase the risk of developing bowel cancer, researchers say.

'Screening early can save lives'

Although the disease is still most likely to affect older people, rates of bowel cancer are rising among younger adults, experts are warning.

Ms Kean said: "Screening and catching cancer early can save lives.

"It makes it more treatable and often curable as well so I'd love to see the screening age come down."

Those eligible for screening are invited to complete a home testing kit to check for hidden blood in your stool. If any is found, you may be invited for a colonoscopy procedure, which has minor risks associated with it.

All 50-74-year-olds in England receive a home-testing kit for bowel cancer every two years.

In Jersey the age for eligibility is 55 to 65, while in Guernsey it is 60 to 70.

Dr Brink added: "It is important to note that Guernsey offers bowel screening to residents up to the age of 70, with the option to continue screening beyond this age if requested by the person."

Prof Sue Clark, a consultant colorectal surgeon at St Mark's Hospital in London, said: "Identifying cancers earlier and treating them better will reduce the risk of death.

"I don't think we should get too wound up about age. The younger you start screening, the lower the benefit because you pick up far fewer cancers."

Prof Clark, who is a Research Grants Committee member for Bowel Research UK, added: "You have to put a lot more people through testing, but of course if you start looking at groups of people where the risk of bowel cancer is very low, then you have to do an awful lot more testing to pick up bowel cancer and you're exposing more people to risk and it all costs more as well."