Today, in support of World Cancer Day 2014 (4 February 2014), BowelScreen – The National Bowel Screening Programme encourages men and women aged 60-69 to find out more about bowel screening at www.bowelscreen.ie.
This year World Cancer Day (www.worldcancerday.org) focuses on Target 5 of the World Cancer Declaration: Reduce stigma and dispel myths about cancer, under the tagline “Debunk the myths”.
Bowel cancer is the second most common form of cancer among men and women in Ireland, with about 2,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Bowel screening aims to find bowel cancer at an early stage when it is easier to treat.
Bowel screening involves a free, easy-to-use BowelScreen home test every two years while in the age-range. It only takes one visit to the toilet and is quick, easy and painless. Information is available at www.bowelscreen.ie.
The BowelScreen home test looks for tiny amounts of blood in the bowel motion (also called a stool) which are not visible to the eye. Most people will have a normal result. In the small number of cases where a result shows traces of blood not visible to the eye, a colonoscopy will be offered in a screening colonoscopy unit in a hospital organised by BowelScreen.
The BowelScreen programme will take a few years to invite all men and women to participate. In the meantime people in the age range can check they are on the register by contacting Freephone 1800 45 45 55. Once on the register:
- Over time they will receive an invitation and if they want to take part they contact the call centre with their GP (family doctor) details;
- Following this they will be sent a BowelScreen home test kit in the post with clear instructions on how to do the test;
- On completion of the test, they date and return it in a free, pre-paid envelope provided by the programme;
- They will get a letter with the results of their BowelScreen home test in four weeks.
World Cancer Day is a chance to raise our collective voices in the name of improving general knowledge around cancer and dismissing misconceptions about the disease. From a global level, we are focusing our messaging on the four myths above. In addition to being in-line with our global advocacy goals, these overarching myths leave a lot of flexibility for members, partners and supporters to adapt and expand on for their own needs.
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For further information contact Aoife O’Sullivan or Sheila Caulfield, CervicalCheck, on 01-8659300.