New campaign urges those eligible to return their life-saving bowel cancer screening home tests

Almost one third (30%) of people who were sent an NHS bowel cancer screening test in England last year did not return them, new figures reveal – as a new national campaign urge those eligible to return their potentially lifesaving bowel cancer screening home tests.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and detecting the disease at the earliest stage makes you up to 9 times more likely to be successfully treated.

New research from a survey of over 1,000 adults who are eligible for at home bowel cancer tests in England revealed that 98% acknowledge that the test is important – however, 1 in 5 said that they wouldn’t do a bowel cancer screening test because they would be embarrassed, too disgusted, or wouldn’t want to look at their poo.

Aston spoke to TV’s Dr Sarah Jarvis.