Parents and grandparents urged to get checked for bowel cancer

Parents and grandparents are being urged to get checked for bowel cancer using the Bowel Screening programme.

The Marie Keating Foundation is urging people between the ages of 60 and 69 to get tested for the treatable disease. 2,500 cases of bowel cancer are diagnosed in Ireland every year and yet, only 40 percent of those eligible for the screening programme are actively getting checked. Professor David Gallagher, Consultant Oncologist at St James Hospital, says that too many people are avoiding the screenings that can and do save lives. "Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in men and 3rd most common in women in Ireland," he says. "Too many people are avoiding the BowelScreen test – whose primary objective is to reduce mortality from colorectal cancer." Bowel cancer currently accounts for 11 percent of cancer deaths in Ireland, however the disease is treatable when detected early.  CEO of the Marie Keating Foundation Liz Yeates says that early detection of bowel cancer is key to saving lives. She said: "Our message is simple: Take part in BowelScreen once you receive your invitation – you may have no symptoms but the test can detect this invisible disease and it could save your life." The Marie Keating Foundation has launched a new campaign in order to encourage people between the eligible Bowel Screen age of 60 and 69 to get checked. Their tagline "I gave a s**t... and it saved my life" aims to alleviate the fear associated with cancer screenings and highlight the importance of early detection. Bowel Screenings can be done at home - they're quick, easy, and free, so you really don't have any excuse not to get checked. You can find out more information about Bowel Screenings here.