Bowel 1, 2, 3

Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is a major public health issue in the UK despite the fact that diagnosis during the early stages of the disease gives a greater chance of successful treatment. The NHS offers a home bowel cancer testing kit for people between the ages of 60 and 74 years; participants can obtain samples in the comfort of their own home and send them back to the NHS for testing. If the faecal occult blood test (FOBT) comes back positive then patients are sent for a colonoscopy to assess if there are any polyps present in the bowel which may become cancerous.