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22 April 2010 Bowel Cancer Screening Programme will save lives – McGimpseyHealth Minister Michael McGimpsey has today launched a new screening programme to detect early warning signs of bowel cancer. Bowel cancer kills over 400 people in Northern Ireland each year, and there are 1,000 new cases annually. After lung cancer, it is the second most common cancer in Northern Ireland. Launching the programme in Whiteabbey Hospital, the Minister said: “The Bowel Cancer Screening Programme can detect signs of bowel cancer at a very early stage, when there is a 90% chance that treatment will be successful. This programme has the potential to reduce deaths from bowel cancer by 15%, which would mean 60 fewer deaths in Northern Ireland each year.” In Northern Ireland, the programme will initially offer bowel screening to men and women aged 60 to 69. Four out of five people who develop bowel cancer are over 60. The Minister hailed the programme as a milestone in healthcare in Northern Ireland: He said: “This is the first new cancer screening programme in Northern Ireland in twenty years, and it is the first cancer screening programme to include men.” Referring to the budget negotiations between Executive Ministers, the Minister went on to say: “This programme will save many lives but we can do more. My aim is to save more people’s lives by offering bowel cancer screening to everyone aged 50-74. The health service needs appropriate funding and resources to do that.” Speaking alongside the Minister, Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride stressed the value of early detection: “Screening is targeted at whole population groups because it is all about detecting warning signs before symptoms appear. I would urge everyone who receives the screening invitation to use it, even if you are feeling perfectly healthy. This test will prevent or detect your cancer earlier and could help save your life.” The new bowel screening programme will be phased in, beginning immediately with people in the Northern and Western Trust areas. England, Scotland and Wales are rolling out their programmes progressively. The Minister explained: “It is vital that the programme meets the strict national standards for quality and safety, and that each appointed screening endoscopy unit is accredited by the Joint Advisory Group on Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.” Over the next two years everyone in Northern Ireland aged between 60 and 69 will be invited for screening, and after that will be offered screening every two years. People registered with a GP in the Northern and Western Health and Social Care Trust areas will begin to receive bowel screening test kits to their home address, starting this week. It is expected that around 2% of the total screened population will need further investigation known as a colonoscopy. About 10% of these people are expected to have bowel cancer. So far in Northern Ireland three bowel cancer screening colonoscopy centres have achieved the necessary accreditation: Whiteabbey, Altnagelvin and Downe Hospitals.
It is anticipated that those registered with a GP in the South Eastern Trust area will be invited to participate from May 2010, with screening colonoscopy being provided in the Downe Hospital. Further details on confirmed start dates and arrangements for the Belfast and Southern Trusts will be provided over the coming weeks.
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