Bowel Cancer in Scotland

Bowel cancer (or colorectal cancer) is a major public health problem in Scotland, which has a higher rate of bowel cancer than most other countries in the Western world. In Scotland it is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women with approximately 3,400 new cases diagnosed each year.  Ninety-five percent of cases occur in people aged over 50 years. Currently, the incidence rate in Scotland is stable amongst men and falling in women whilst the mortality rate is falling for both sexes.  However, bowel cancer is still the second most common cause of cancer deaths for men and the third for women with around 1,600 people dying of the disease in Scotland each year. The five year survival rate is approximately 50% for both sexes.

Detailed information on bowel cancer in Scotland and links to UK publications can be found on the colorectal cancer statistics  page.

Scottish Bowel Screening Programme

The pilot bowel (or colorectal) screening programme commenced in April 2000 in Tayside, Grampian and Fife NHS Boards.  All men and women registered with a GP Practice aged between 50-69 years were invited to participate.  The pilot has been running continuously since then with eligible men and women being screened every 2 years.

Eligible men and women are posted a guaiac-based faecal occult blood test (FOBt) which they complete and return via the post to the central screening centre in Dundee.  Individuals who have a positive FOBt result are referred to their local hospital for assessment and offered a colonoscopy as the first line investigation, if appropriate. 

From May 2007, national rollout of the screening programme will commence with Tayside, Grampian and Fife.  Other NHS boards will follow with the last rollout planned for 2009.

It is estimated that once the bowel screening is established mortality from bowel cancer will decrease by 16%, saving approximately 150 lives per year.   

Further details of the screening programme can be obtained from National Services Division  who are co-ordinating the screening programme.