A BOWEL cancer screening programme was launched in the Isle of Man for the first time in July.
The £300,000 programme was rolled out to every resident aged between 60 and 69 to screen for the disease.
Over the next two years Residents in the target age group will automatically receive an information pack and test kit through the post.
They will be required to send stool samples, freepost, to an NHS testing centre in Rugby where the samples will be examined for blood.
The screening programme is designed to test people for the disease before it presents any symptoms. Anyone who is found to have blood in their stools will be referred to Noble's Hospital for further tests.
Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in women and the third most common in men. Each year around 25 people die of bowel cancer in the Isle of Man but if the screening programme is successful it is anticipated that around four or five of these lives could be saved.
Health Minister David Anderson MHK said: "I am delighted to announce the start of this programme. This is yet another example of the Department of Health taking cancer care and prevention most seriously."
The then Treasury Minister Anne Craine MHK said: "Even in these times of financial hardship my department found extra resources to fund this initiative. The Isle of Man Government and the Treasury will continue to give priority to health issues and seek to ensure that our population remains as healthy as possible."
This is part of isleofman.com's Review of the Year 2011.
