Campaigners are calling for routine bowel cancer checks for adults from age 30, following a sharp rise in cases among the under-50s. A petition led by Margaret, whose daughter Cheryl died from bowel cancer at a young age after being dismissed by doctors, has gathered 10,000 signatures in just one month. Cheryl, who suffered abdominal pain and bloating, was diagnosed in October 2024 with cancer that had already spread to her liver; she died a few months later.
In the UK, bowel cancer claims nearly 17,000 lives annually and is the fourth most common cancer. Currently, adults aged 50 to 74 in England are offered a free at-home test every two years. However, research shows that those born in 1990 are almost two-and-a-half times more likely to develop the disease than those born in 1950. More than 2,600 people are diagnosed each year before reaching screening age.
Dame Deborah James, who died aged 40 after raising over £11 million for bowel cancer research, helped spotlight the growing number of diagnoses in under-50s. She was diagnosed at 35 after being told her symptoms were likely due to stress or irritable bowel syndrome. Bowel cancer survivor Gemma Savory, diagnosed at 35 with stage three cancer, now suffers from treatment-related complications including kidney failure and sepsis. She said: 'The money being spent on keeping me alive could have been saved with a simple screening test.'
Professor Sir Neil Mortensen, chairman of the Oxford Colon Cancer Trust, acknowledged a 'clear rise' in cases among under-50s but cautioned that numbers remain low, making widespread testing potentially less cost-effective. He suggested that people under 50 should be able to request a test, especially those with a family history. Critics also raise concerns about over-diagnosis and unnecessary follow-up procedures. Nevertheless, campaigners argue that early detection is crucial, as more than 90 per cent of people whose bowel cancer is caught at the earliest stage survive at least five years.
