Bowel Cancer Survivor Encourages Over-50s to Participate in Screening

An individual has encouraged those aged over 50 to undergo bowel cancer screening examinations, having experienced his own diagnosis and subsequent successful treatment. Stephen Ball, a 54-year-old resident of Long Buckby, was identified as Northamptonshire’s youngest patient diagnosed via the screening initiative after providing a stool sample in May. Effective 31 October, the programme’s scope was broadened to encompass individuals aged 50 who are registered with general practitioners within the county. Mr Ball commented: “It shows how important it is to do your stool test when it comes through the post, and to get yourself checked-out so you have peace of mind.” Since its inception in 2008, Northamptonshire’s bowel screening initiative has conducted 14,390 colonoscopies and 446 colonograms. Under recently expanded national plans, all individuals between the ages of 50 and 74 will now receive a Bowel Screening FIT stool kit biennially, with samples to be submitted for analysis. Should results be positive, an evaluation by a specialist screening practitioner at either Kettering General (KGH) or Northampton General Hospitals (NGH) is initiated, frequently resulting in a colonoscopy. Upon receiving a positive result from his sample, Mr. Ball underwent a colonoscopy camera examination at KGH, which revealed a small lesion in his bowel. Subsequent testing confirmed this to be early-stage cancer. In July, he subsequently underwent key-hole surgery and a bowel resection procedure to excise the cancerous growth, and it is anticipated that he will likely require no additional treatment. Mr. Ball further stated: “My cancer was so small it didn’t show up on a CT scan and it was caught at a very early stage and removed, which is the best thing that can happen.“If you don’t you could go for years with a problem you don’t know about.” Dr. Andy Dixon, Northamptonshire’s screening director, remarked: “Nearly everyone survives bowel cancer if diagnosed at the earliest stage. “However this drops significantly as the disease develops. Early diagnosis really does save lives and it is very important to take part in screening.”It will give you peace of mind and – in the unlikely event it detects a problem – it will help you get the treatment you need as soon as possible.” For updates on Northamptonshire news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.