MY mum Fiona died of bowel cancer aged 56. If she had lived in Scotland, where the population is screened from the age of 50, she would have had a far better chance of survival.
If diagnosed at an early stage 97 per cent of cases of bowel cancer can be successfully treated but this drops to just seven per cent if diagnosed at a late stage.
Currently the screening age starts at 50 in Scotland but not until 60 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This means there are almost eight million people in their 50s being denied the opportunity to be screened.
That’s why I’ve been campaigning for change and why I’m supporting Beating Bowel Cancer’s call to equalise the screening age across the UK.
I’d like to ask all 50-year-olds to support this change.Visit beatingbowelcancer.org.
Lauren Backler
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