Call to lower age for bowel cancer screening
Bowel Cancer Ireland has renewed its calls for better prevention and screenings following the death of Irish Olympian and European champion runner Ciara Mageean who had stage four bowel cancer.
Bowel Cancer Ireland is urging the Irish Government to lower the age for bowel cancer screening, following the death of Irish Olympian and European champion runner Ciara Mageean, who was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer at the age of 34. Currently, the national BowelScreen programme is only available to those aged 57-71, but Bowel Cancer Ireland believes this age should be brought down to 50, similar to Australia, the UK, and the US.
The organization's chair, Brendan Donlon, emphasized the importance of recognizing red flag symptoms, such as blood in the stool, changes in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, lasting pain or bloating, and persistent tiredness. Donlon also highlighted that young women often have to advocate for themselves, as symptoms are frequently dismissed as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
He stressed the significance of early detection, as bowel cancer is a very survivable cancer when caught early, yet it is one of the most lethal when diagnosed late.
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