Half a million people in Scotland do their bowel screening test each year, and you’re 14 times more likely to survive bowel cancer if it’s found early.
Bowel screening is offered to people aged 50 to 74 across Scotland to help find bowel cancer early, when it can often be cured.
What does it involve?
Bowel screening involves taking a simple test at home every 2 years. The test looks for hidden blood in your poo, as this could mean a higher chance of bowel cancer.
The aim of the test is to find:
bowel cancer early, especially in people with no symptoms, or to find changes in your bowel early, such as pre-cancerous growths called ‘polyps’, that could lead to cancer.
Most bowel polyps can be removed easily, which can prevent cancer from developing.