Lifesaving cancer screening launch in Yarmouth and Waveney
Radio Broadland DJ Chrissie Jackson is urging people living in Great Yarmouth and Waveney to take part in a ground-breaking cancer screening programme for older people that can save lives from bowel cancer.
From next week (May 29th) men and women aged between 60 and 69 and registered with a GP in the Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT area will begin to be invited to take part in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Eligible men and women from the local population of 227,234 will be invited to take part in the programme over the next two years.
The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) was one of the very first sites in the country to introduce the new national screening programme to help detect bowel cancer at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be effective. The NNUH team is now working in partnership with the James Paget University Hospital (JPUH) to extend the new cancer screening service to the Great Yarmouth and Waveney areas. The screening programme is expected to save approximately one life per week from across the Norfolk and Waveney area.
Chrissie Jackson, whose Dad sadly died of bowel cancer, said: “I lost my dear old Dad to bowel cancer and as a family we know the pain this disease brings to so many. Bowel cancer is a difficult disease for many people to talk about but this screening programme will help save lives. I would urge people to set aside any embarrassment and take the test once they've had their screening pack.”
• Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK
• Around 80 per cent of bowel cancers arise in people who are over 60
• There are around 35,000 cases of bowel cancer identified in the UK each year
• There are approximately 16,000 deaths a year from bowel cancer
• Although bowel cancer affects more than one in 20 people in their lifetime, 90 per cent survive if it is caught early
(Source: CRUK)
Dr Richard Tighe, NNUH consultant gastroenterologist, said, “This new service is a lifesaver and we are delighted that men and women in Great Yarmouth and Waveney will be among the first in the country to have the opportunity to be screened for bowel cancer. Many people are often embarrassed to talk about their bowels. This programme means that they can now access screening in the privacy of their own homes. The test kit is simple to complete and I strongly encourage everyone offered the opportunity to participate.”
Dr Bernard Brett, JPUH consultant gastroenterologist, said: “This important new service is going to bring real benefits to the population of the Great Yarmouth and Waveney area. It will save lives from bowel cancer as well as prevent the need for surgery in some individuals. This will be of benefit not only to the men and women identified through the screening programme but also to their relatives, and friends. Please take up this opportunity, this is something that could make a huge difference to you, your family and friends.'
Dr Alistair Lipp, Director of Public Health for Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT, said: “This is a really positive public health initiative. A simple test carried out in the privacy of someone’s home can save lives and make a difference to individuals and their families. We would urge everyone to take up this opportunity.”
People will be sent a simple test kit to complete in the privacy of their home. This will involve collecting a small sample from three separate bowel motions and, using a specially designed prepaid envelope, returning the kit to the laboratory for analysis. Those aged 70 and over are being encouraged to call a freephone helpline on 0800 707 60 60 and request a kit.
The laboratory analyses the samples, looking for tiny traces of blood that may be invisible to the naked eye. The test does not diagnose bowel cancer but gives an indication as to whether further investigations are required.
The bowel cancer screening team at NNUH is led by Dr Richard Tighe. Once a test result indicates there might be a problem the specialist nurses will see people at a clinic at the James Paget. People who then need a colonoscopy will have it undertaken at NNUH by Dr Bernard Brett or other consultant endoscopists involved in the screening programme.
A leaflet entitled ‘Bowel Cancer Screening – The Facts’ will be sent to everyone with their invitation to help them make an informed choice about whether or not to take up the opportunity of screening. This leaflet explains bowel cancer screening and the benefits and limitations of the test. Step-by-step instructions for completing the test at home are being sent out with the test kit and further support is available from a freephone helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
The introduction of screening in central Norfolk is part of the roll out of the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme nationally. The first stage of the programme began in 2006 and it is anticipated that it will take about three years for screening to be phased in across England.