23 Jul 07

Those considering being screened for bowel cancer can go online to listen to, or read about, ordinary people's experiences of the process.

DIPEx, the award-winning website about people's personal experiences of health and illness based on Oxford University research, has launched a new section on screening for bowel cancer at www.dipex.org/screeningforbowelcancer.

Visitors to the website can see and hear 44 ordinary men and women from different parts of the county talking about their experiences of screening. Some had received normal results after their tests, while others had received abnormal results, and some found they had bowel polyps or bowel cancer. A few people decided not to take part in screening, and explain why.

Bowel cancer affects over 35,000 people in the UK each year. Many cases are diagnosed too late, but if diagnosed early it is highly treatable. Screening for bowel cancer is the first UK mass screening programme which uses a self-sampling kit, and the first to beoffered to men as well as women. By 2009 all those aged 60-69 should have received an invitation to take part in this type of screening through the NHS.

People who were interviewed and who took part in the bowel cancer screening programme were very enthusiastic about every aspect of the service. Those who had a 'normal' result liked being reassured, while those who were diagnosed with bowel cancer recognised that early diagnosis might have saved their lives. Some knew that other countries do not have a bowel screening programme and commented that they felt lucky that one is being introduced in the UK.

The research and one-on-one interviews behind the website was conducted by the DIPEx Research Group, based at Oxford's Department of Primary Health Care.