A lesser-known night-time symptom could point to bowel cancer, a disease often dubbed a 'silent killer'. Early recognition of warning signs is crucial, given that bowel cancer ranks as the fourth most common form in the UK.Cancer Research UK's data reveals it accounts for nearly 16,808 deaths annually.
With approximately 44,100 new cases reported each year in the UK – amounting to about 120 daily – recognising symptoms swiftly is key to improving survival prospects.Despite its prevalence, bowel cancer frequently remains asymptomatic in its early stages, leading to late diagnoses and diminished survival rates.
To help combat this, the NHS has introduced an at-home testing initiative this week for people of a certain age.An NHS spokesperson explained: "The kit, known as the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), checks for blood in a small stool sample, which can be a sign of bowel cancer...
Results are sent back to participants, along with information about further tests, if needed." With the capability to detect indicators of bowel cancer earlier, the screening programme has now been extended to include individuals aged 50 in England, benefiting hundreds of thousands more people.