Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK, and about 1 in 20 people will get it during a lifetime. Early detection makes all the difference in terms of long-term outlook, and screening is the most effective way to pick up early changes. What's more, some NHS screening can even pick up and remove growths called polyps before they become cancerous - so it can actually prevent cancer.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/news-and-features/what-you-need-to-know-about-bowel-screening