A mum diagnosed with bowel cancer has issued a plea to lower the screening age from 50 to 30 amid rising cases in younger people.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common in Scotland, with someone diagnosed every 12 minutes across the UK.
In November 2023, Kay Edmond learned she had stage three bowel cancer at just 41 years old after experiencing extreme fatigue and losing weight over six months.
After months of uncertainty, countless GP appointments, and blood tests almost every week, it wasn’t until she passed out in her home that doctors found a tumour.
Currently in Scotland, screening is only offered to men and women aged between 50 and 74 years old, meaning Kay would not have been diagnosed if she hadn’t pushed for tests.
STV News“It was never brought up that it could have been anything potentially cancerous or anything like that. They just put it down to being kind of run down or going through menopause at my age,” she told STV News.
“We were kind of fobbed off at times because of my age. We had to push to get these tests, and it took for me to pass out to get to my diagnosis. It was quite hard going.”
Kay added: “It was such a shock to us. You’re young, and you don’t think you’ll have a diagnosis like that. That moment will probably stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Since her diagnosis, Kay has undergone chemotherapy and received the all-clear.
“I’m so happy and delighted. It’s been such a journey for my family. To get that result, it’s such a great moment to celebrate,” she said.
“It has been two years of really hard times for us. If it’s an early diagnosis and it gets treated, you can live your life again.”
Health experts at NHS Grampian have reported an increase in bowel cancer screening uptake in Aberdeen, thanks to a new campaign.
The health board, in partnership with cancer charity Friends of Anchor, is encouraging those least likely to come forward to get tested.
As part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, those behind the campaign stress the importance of knowing the signs of the disease.
NHS Grampian is also seeking more people to take part in its screening programme, particularly targeting those in disadvantaged areas.
STV NewsThe programme offers assessments for individuals who may not have any symptoms.
Charlotte Murray, a public health practitioner with NHS Grampian, explained, “Screening is for people without symptoms. So, what we would say is anyone experiencing symptoms like having blood in their stool, a change in bowel habits lasting more than four weeks, unexplained weight loss, or severe abdominal pain, particularly after eating, please speak to your GP in that instance.”
In addition to the current screening, the NHS is trialling a blood test designed to detect cancer earlier. The project aims to identify 12 of the most common and lethal cancers, including bowel cancer, with over 99% accuracy.
The goal is to diagnose cancers at an early stage, potentially before they require extensive treatment or surgery.
A recent YouGov survey conducted for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month revealed that a third of people in the UK are unable to identify the symptoms of bowel cancer.
Kay said: “It’s so common now for people under the age of 50 to be diagnosed with bowel cancer. People generally think that bowel cancer only happens to people over 50.
“We need to push on this, and the screening level should be taken down, even to 30, to get the screenings done. It’s so much more common now in younger people. People have had to fight for their diagnosis.
“You know your body – you should go to your GP if something is not right. Press and make sure you get these tests.”
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “The Scottish Government, along with the other UK nations, relies on advice about screening programmes from the UK National Screening Committee, an independent expert advisory group.
“The Committee does not currently recommend bowel screening for those under 50. If that advice changes, then we would of course look at it again.”
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