GPs in the UK have been given access to a new risk assessment tool designed to help diagnose bowel cancer in younger patients. The tool, developed by the University of Exeter and funded by the Department of Health, calculates the risk of serious bowel disease based on blood tests, symptoms and a GP's examination.
Experts say people under 50 often delay seeking help for bowel cancer symptoms, with 20% visiting their GP five times before being referred to a specialist. The new tool, published on the British Journal of General Practice website, aims to speed up diagnosis. Those with a 3% or higher risk will be referred for an urgent colonoscopy, while those between 1% and 3% will be recommended for a faecal calprotectin test.
Bowel Cancer UK has called for all GPs to have access to the “lifesaving” tool. Chief executive Deborah Alsina said it “has the potential to help GPs to decide which of their young patients need a referral for further tests and which have less serious bowel conditions.”
More than 2,500 people under 50 are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year in the UK, a 45% rise since 2004. However, up to 60% of under-50s are diagnosed at Stage 3 or 4, when survival rates are lower. If caught early, more than 90% of cases can be treated successfully.
One patient, Deborah, who was diagnosed with a 6cm tumour in her rectum after a colonoscopy, said she was “absolutely petrified” at the thought of not seeing her children grow up. She urged others not to ignore symptoms.
