New study marks major advance in cancer screening
Today the remarkable results of a study, which Cancer Research UK has helped to fund, are revealed in the national press. They provide hard evidence that a one-off screening procedure could prevent a third of bowel cancers and reduce death rates by nearly half. Given that bowel cancer is the third most common cancer and the second biggest cancer killer in the UK, these are extremely important results. Furthermore, we expect the results to get even better as we monitor the people who took part in this study for a few more years.
We at Cancer Research UK are very excited about these results, and are calling on the UK Governments to add the test to the existing national bowel screening programme as a priority. Such a programme could save thousands of lives a year and spare tens of thousands of families the anxiety and suffering associated with a cancer diagnosis.
Take a look at our science blog for more details on how this study could revolutionise bowel cancer prevention and detection.
We will make every effort to push the Governments of the UK to ensure this new approach is available for more people as soon as possible.