Swindon men and women who are in the 60s are receiving self-test kits for the detection of bowel cancer. Health bosses said that almost 104 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in Swindon which causes almost
43 deaths.

The latest self-test kits are expected to help in detecting the cancer at a very early stage and facilitate early treatment which will thus prevent many lives.

The third largest cancer to claim lives is bowel cancer which leads to 16,000 deaths every year in the small town of Swindon.

The screening will be made available every two years to every man and woman between the ages of 60 to 69 and people more than the age of 70 can also request for a screening kit.

“The National Screening Programme is the best available method of discovering bowel cancer at an early stage when it can be treated, and by doing this simple test many lives can be saved,” said Kathy Abbot, head of immunization and screening at the NHS South West Essex.