CKS is no longer commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE remains committed to providing a replacement service for CKS and is currently reviewing its options. In the meantime, although CKS content is now not being maintained, it still remains relevant and will continue to be made available. CKS content was generated under a programme of topic creation and update. To check if the topic you are viewing is current or out of date, please refer to the topic publication details by clicking on the 'How up-to-date is this topic?' link in the left hand menu on individual topic pages.
Colorectal screening - Management
Why screen for bowel cancer?
- Bowel cancer screening meets the criteria for a viable, effective, and appropriate screening programme. In particular:
- Bowel cancer is an important health problem, causing approximately 16,000 deaths per year.
- Bowel cancer may be detected at an asymptomatic stage by a simple, safe, and validated screening test that is generally acceptable to the population.
- Early treatment of bowel cancer leads to better outcomes.
- Bowel cancer screening can be be effectively implemented within the NHS.
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement