Cancer screenings could save your life – prioritise you health

The letter arrives inviting us to attend a cancer screening but we don’t have symptoms, we are busy, the screening process might be undignified – we justify not taking part in the screening. With a focus on two types of cancer we would like you remind you why screening is so important:

Bowel Cancer – screenings available for those aged 60-74

 

  • Around one in 17 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer.
  • It is the third most common cancer and the second biggest cause of cancer deaths. Bowel cancer screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16 per cent.
  • Bowel screening can detect bowel cancer in people that have no symptoms.
  • When diagnosis is made early, before it has had a chance to spread, bowel cancer can be cured in over 90% of cases. The later a diagnosis is made, the more difficult bowel cancer is to treat.
  • The sample is taken in the privacy of your own home.
  • If you are eligible for screening but have not been contacted please call 0800 707 6060 Monday-Friday, 9am – 5pm to order a kit.

 

Cervical Cancer – screenings available for women aged between 24-64

  • 3000 women each year are diagnosed with cervical cancer.
  • Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under the age of 35.
  • Screening dectects abnormalities that can be treated to prevent cancer developing.
  • Screening prevents 75% of cervical cancer developing yet 1 in 4 women do not attend when invited.
  • This 5 minute test could save your life.
  • If you are eligible for screening but have not been contacted then please contact the surgery to find out when your next test is due.

Whilst this article comes from Bridge Cottage Patient Participation Group the sources consulted were jostrust.org.uk and beatingbowelcancer.org.

11:16, 18 Apr 2017 by Administrator DRA
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