Driving improvement in screening and scoping

Each year, the British Society of Gastoenterology’s educational conference presents the latest research in gastroenterology. High on the agenda at this year’s event was discussion of the UK’s bowel cancer screening programme and opportunities for improvement in cancer prevention and detection.

Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest killer, yet it is a disease that is often diagnosed too late. Every year, in the UK, over 41,000 people (one every 15 minutes) are diagnosed with bowel cancer and 16,000 people die of the disease.  One year survival for those diagnosed with a stage 1 cancer is 98%, for men and women. When detected at stage 4 (the most advanced stage), one year survival is much lower: 44% for men and 35% for women. (Source: PHE) 

This year, the annual BSG meeting coincided with the 10th anniversary of the introduction of bowel cancer screening and Public Health England’s director of screening, Anne Mackie, was invited to present on the theme: ‘Bowel cancer screening: where are we now and where are we going?’