Bowel Cancer Screening Many countries around the world have national screening programs for bowel cancer. There is good evidence that biennial faecal occult blood testing (FOBT) every 2 years has a...

Bowel Cancer Screening

Many countries around the world have national screening programs for bowel cancer. There is good evidence that biennial faecal occult blood testing (FOBT) every 2 years has a modest effect on reducing the incidence and mortality of bowel cancer, but there are risks associated with colonoscopies arising from positive results – true and false (Hewitson et al., 2007). Governments have therefore invested in FOBT screening programs and offer the test to people in the target age range. A UK study showed that the majority of the British public (84%) preferred an expert recommendation about bowel cancer screening, but they also wanted to be informed about the benefits and risks. Conversely, around 16% people prefer to weigh up the benefits and harms for themselves (Waller et al., 2012).