Intestine cancer screening tests can reduce the risk of dying from the disease by 43 percent, a study suggests.
The DIY tool is currently offered every two years to around 17 million Britons aged 50 to 74.
It looks for small, hidden traces of blood in a person’s stool – an early sign of colon cancer.
The latest findings suggest the test is even more effective than previously thought, with a 2024 study showing a 25 percent reduction in the risk of death.
Figures show the program is only being completed by 70 per cent of eligible people in England.
The screening program – which involves sending a test kit by post – started in 2006 but was extended to Brits in their 50s in 2021.
The decision was prompted by a worrying rise in the disease among young adults.
Research shows that the number of cases of colon cancer in young people under the age of 50 is 50 percent higher than 30 years ago.
Taking a simple bowel cancer screening test at home could reduce the risk of dying from the disease, a study suggests
In the new study, scientists from the Karolinska Institute analyzed data from 376,511 people in Sweden, of whom 203,692 were invited for bowel cancer screening, and 172,819 who were invited later or not at all.
On average, the participants were about 63 years old.
At the start of the study, the Swedish screening program used a method called the guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT).
The gFOBT was used in Britain before 2017, before it was later replaced by a more accurate technology, the fecal immunochemical test (FIT).
It was also replaced by FIT in Sweden, which the research showed.
At the end of the study, researchers found it who took the tests had a 43 percent lower risk, compared to those who didn’t do them.
Researchers say screening can detect colon cancer earlier, when it is more likely to be treated successfully.
When colon cancer patients are caught at the earliest stages, they have a more than 90 percent chance of surviving for five years.
This drops to just six percent if it is discovered at a later stage, when it has spread to other organs.
The test can also find growths in the intestine called polyps that can turn into cancer, allowing doctors to remove or check them.
Commenting on the findings, Genevieve Edwards, CEO of Bowel Cancer UK, told the Daily Mail: ‘Screening is one of the best ways to detect the disease early, so take the test if you are eligible.
‘It only takes a few minutes at home, but those few minutes can make a life-changing difference.’
There are more than 48,200 cases of bowel cancer in the UK every year.
In total, about 17,700 people die from the disease every year, making it the second biggest cancer killer.
The NHS says symptoms can include changes in bowel habits – such as persistent diarrhea, looser stools or constipation – as well as blood in the stool or bleeding from the bottom.
Other warning signs include stomach pain, a lump in the abdomen, bloating or unexplained weight loss.
Feeling unusually tired or short of breath can also be a sign of anemia, which can be caused by the disease.
The risk increases with age, especially over 50 years, and is also higher in people who smoke or are overweight.
Experts say the risk can be reduced by eating a healthy diet rich in fiber, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Staying physically active, drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking and limiting red and processed meat are all thought to help too.
