Bowel cancer screening age lowered to 51 in Wales
Wednesday 4 October 2023
Bowel cancer screening will be made available to more people in Wales as home testing is expanded to include 51-54 year olds.
People aged 51-54 who are registered with a GP in Wales will start to be invited for screening from Wednesday 4 October. They will automatically receive their home testing kits in the post every two years.
The move is part of a phased approach to lowering the screening age to 50 by October 2024.
The easy-to-use home testing kits were introduced by the Welsh Government in 2019, with increased sensitivity to better detect those at risk of bowel cancer. They have helped improve screening uptake to 65% in the county.
Nearly 7,000 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer between 2018-2020 in Wales. Screening plays an important role in detecting cancer earlier, when it is treatable and curable, and helps to improve cancer outcomes in the country.
Gerard McMahon, Head of Policy & Influencing (Devolved Nations) for Bowel Cancer UK says: “This is fantastic news and a massive step in the right direction towards screening from 50 in Wales, which we’ve long campaigned for.
“Screening is one of the best ways to diagnose bowel cancer early, when it’s much easier to treat, or in some cases prevent it from developing in the first place, and so inviting more people to take part is welcomed. We encourage everyone to complete the test when they receive it.”
- Read more about the importance of bowel screening
- Find out more about our campaign to increase early diagnosis of the disease
- Find out more about our work in Wales
