NHS England will lower the detection threshold for its bowel cancer home-screening test from next month, a move expected to save around 600 lives annually. The enhanced screening aligns England with Scotland and Wales and has been linked to research funded by the late Dame Deborah James, the cancer awareness campaigner known as "Bowel Babe" who died in June 2022.
The faecal immunochemical test (FIT) threshold will drop from 120 micrograms to 80 micrograms of human haemoglobin per gram of faeces. This makes the test more sensitive, enabling earlier detection of high-risk polyps or cancers before symptoms appear. The change affects everyone aged 50 and over who receives the home-testing kit.
The adjustment will lead to approximately 2,000 more people annually undergoing further investigations. NHS England projects an 11 percent increase in early cancer detections and a six percent reduction in late-stage diagnoses and deaths from bowel cancer in England.
Impact on NHS capacity
The enhanced screening will require around 34,000 additional colonoscopies each year, a 35 percent increase. The positive test rate requiring further investigation will rise from two percent to three percent. Despite the increased workload, NHS England expects £32 million in annual savings by treating people earlier rather than providing palliative care.
Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: «This is a major step forward in bowel cancer detection and will help save hundreds more lives from this devastating disease. Testing at a lower threshold will now provide a better early-warning system for bowel cancer, helping us to spot and treat cancers earlier, often picking up problems before symptoms appear.»
Dame Deborah James's legacy
The development was highlighted on ITV's Lorraine on Monday, where host Lorraine Kelly and resident doctor Hilary Jones discussed the connection to Dame Deborah James's fundraising efforts. The campaigner raised more than £11 million for cancer research before her death at age 40 following a five-year battle with stage four bowel cancer.
Dr. Hilary Jones told the show: «The Bowel Babe campaign continues to save lives. Fantastic. What she's done is just incredible and continues to do, even now she's passed.» Lorraine Kelly described the news as part of Dame Deborah's legacy, stating: «What a girl. Oh, she would love this! Sadly, sadly missed.»
Cancer charities welcomed the change. Genevieve Edwards, chief executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: «This is great news for people living in England. Increasing the sensitivity of the test means more cancers will be prevented and found earlier, saving more lives from the UK's fourth most common cancer.»
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, noted that bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer death in England. She urged anyone noticing unusual symptoms to consult their GP, emphasizing that screening is designed for people without symptoms.
Northern Ireland's FIT threshold remains at 120 micrograms. The UK National Screening Committee recommends an optimal threshold of 20 micrograms but acknowledges this would significantly increase demand on NHS services.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
