Dame Deborah James’ family launches our new programme to save lives through earlier diagnosis of bowel cancer

Dame Deborah James’ parents, Alistair and Heather James, attended our awareness roadshow in Barking today, funded by the legacy of their daughter’s Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK.

They are supporting us to launch a pioneering programme designed to help diagnose more cases of bowel cancer earlier. This new approach tackles the common barriers by combining sustained awareness-raising activities with increased support for local healthcare professionals.

The enhanced Early Diagnosis Programme will run for 12 months from June 2026, in five locations:

• Birmingham
• Croydon
• Cornwall
• Greater Glasgow and Clyde
• Neath Port Talbot.

The programme is funded nationally by the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK, with additional support from Moondance Cancer Initiative in Wales and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in Scotland.

Early diagnosis saves lives

Earlier diagnosis saves lives, yet almost half of people diagnosed with bowel cancer living in the UK are diagnosed at the later stages (stage 3 and 4). Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer; but it shouldn’t be because it's treatable and curable if diagnosed early.

Across the UK:

• More than 9 in 10 people survive bowel cancer if diagnosed at stage 1
• But only 1 in 10 survive if diagnosed at stage 4
• Today, just 4 in 10 people are diagnosed at the earliest stages**.

This must change and more bowel cancers must be spotted earlier when treatment is more likely to be successful.

At the heart of this new early diagnosis programme is a shared commitment from Bowel Cancer UK, its funders and local NHS partners to empower people to take action earlier. By working directly with communities, the programme will support people to recognise the symptoms of bowel cancer, feel confident speaking to their GP if something doesn’t look or feel right and complete their bowel cancer screening test when invited.

Research shows embarrassment, fear of cancer and concerns about “wasting the doctor’s time” stop many people from seeking help*. The programme will directly tackle these barriers, particularly among communities and age groups where late diagnosis is more common.

The multi-intervention model will include:

• Community events
• Health professional engagement
• Advertising
• Social and community group outreach
• Work to support screening uptake, particularly in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Around 40% of people living in this area do not return their screening test***.

A new community-first model for early diagnosis

Working closely with local NHS teams, the 12-month programme in each location will combine public awareness activity with professional engagement, supporting primary care to recognise symptoms quickly and refer patients for further tests.

In Greater Glasgow and Clyde the focus will be on increasing participation in the NHS Bowel Screening Programme for eligible people aged 50-74.

Supporting healthcare professionals

Alongside public-facing activity, health professionals will be supported to:

• Help people recognise the main symptoms of bowel cancer
• Challenge common myths and assumptions about who can develop bowel cancer
• Encourage people with symptoms to be referred quickly for tests and further checks
• Promote completion of the free at-home screening test. One in three people in the UK eligible for screening do not return their test.**

Leading the way in early diagnosis

The programme reflects that early diagnosis must be prioritised if cancer survival rates are to improve.

We believe the programme could provide a scalable blueprint for encouraging people to see their GP when they have symptoms. This supports ambitions to improve earlier diagnosis set out in England’s National Cancer Plan, Scotland’s Cancer Strategy and Northern Ireland’s Cancer Strategy and underlines the need for clear, long-term cancer leadership in Wales.

Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: “It’s incredibly special to welcome Alistair and Heather James to our awareness roadshow in Barking, made possible through the legacy of Dame Deborah James and the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK. Their support continues to inspire action to help save lives from bowel cancer.

“We know awareness of symptoms, and acting on them, can make a big difference in how treatable bowel cancer is. But too many people are still being diagnosed too late.

“Through this new early diagnosis programme, we are working directly with communities and local NHS partners to break down the barriers, remove embarrassment, tackle fear and ensure people feel confident visiting their GP if something doesn't look or feel right.

“This programme has the potential to transform how we approach early diagnosis in bowel cancer across the UK.”

Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK said: “Bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer death in England, but we know finding it earlier saves lives.

“Dame Deborah James campaigned passionately for this and undoubtedly had a huge impact on bowel cancer awareness. She would have been delighted to see the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK helping to support this vital work, and we hope it will build on what she started to help ensure that even more people can benefit from earlier diagnosis, when treatment is more likely to be successful.”

Wendy Evans, Managing Director at Moondance Cancer Initiative: “Every year, nearly 2,400 people in Wales are diagnosed with bowel cancer and sadly almost 1,000 lose their lives. Earlier diagnosis saves lives. We’re proud to support Bowel Cancer UK, Swansea Bay University Health Board and local partners to bring this programme to Neath Port Talbot and help more people recognise the symptoms of bowel cancer and feel confident acting on them.”

Dr Alison Potts, Consultant in Public Health at the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board: “Bowel screening saves lives, but too many people in Glasgow and Clyde are not completing their test. Uptake here is the lowest in Scotland, with around 4 in 10 people not returning their screening kit. By supporting this initiative with Bowel Cancer UK, we want to help reach communities where participation is lowest and make it easier for people to take part in screening.”

This marks the second phase of funding from the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK to Bowel Cancer UK. This partnership is building on nationwide awareness roadshows which reached thousands of people across 27 locations and a primary care education and engagement programme. This has enabled us to deliver education to improve early diagnosis of bowel cancer and to share support services for health professionals and their patients.

How you can get involved

We can't do this without the support of our incredible community. Help us make early diagnosis a reality and save lives.

If you live or work in Birmingham, Croydon, Cornwall, Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Neath Port Talbot:

• We need lots of volunteers to help with running awareness activities, putting up posters and more.
• Sharing your experience of bowel cancer can help raise awareness of the disease in your area.
• If you’re a health professional, like a nurse, GP or pharmacist, we can offer practical support and tools to increase your knowledge of bowel cancer.

Don’t live near these areas?

We have plenty of other opportunities for you to support our work. You can take on a fundraising challenge, share your experience of bowel cancer and we’re always posting new volunteering opportunities.

If you’re a health professional you can access our training and resources to support your professional development.

Or sign up to our e-newsletter to hear the latest news and updates on our Early Diagnosis Programme.