Overview
- Clinicians using April’s awareness push report more cases in people under 50 and urge anyone with ongoing symptoms to see a GP quickly.
- A Northern Ireland patient says spotting a tiny trace of blood and acting fast led to an early diagnosis and a better path through treatment.
- In England, Scotland and Wales, free home screening kits go to ages 50 to 74 every two years, with over-75s able to request one, while Northern Ireland invites ages 60 to 74.
- The home test, called FIT, checks a small poo sample for hidden blood, and a positive result leads to a colonoscopy that can find and remove polyps before they turn into cancer.
- Nurses highlight warning signs such as blood in poo, lasting bowel changes, weight loss, tummy pain, extreme tiredness, or a new lump.