A project that has the potential to save many lives by improving the uptake of screening for Scotland’s third biggest cancer has won funding from the Scottish Cancer Foundation.

Bowel cancer affects around 4000 people a year in Scotland and screening, which can catch the disease at an early, treatable stage, has been shown to be highly effective. However, around one in four people who are invited for screening never respond and, more worryingly, a similar number who get a positive result after screening and may have bowel cancer never attend for follow up investigation.

Uptake of bowel cancer screening in Scotland is lower than for other forms of screening, suggesting there are unique barriers that need to be overcome. The research project run by the Department of General Practice at the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute aims to identify what these barriers might be and develop strategies to improve the uptake of screening. It aims to find out which groups of people are most likely to refuse to take part in screening, which parts of Scotland have the highest non-participation rates and the reasons behind all of this. It will involve interviews with patients who refused follow-up after a positive test result and with focus groups to understand how bowel cancer screening can be promoted better.

It will also investigate the role of family doctors in working with patients to improve the uptake of bowel cancer screening. Although the project believes there is unrealised potential in general practice to make a positive difference, workload issues and competing priorities may limit what is achievable.

Professor David Weller, head of General Practice at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We know that bowel cancer screening is not reaching many people who may benefit from it but we don’t know the precise reasons for this. This research project aims to fill the gaps in our knowledge to help us increase the number of people who participate. We are grateful for the support of the Scottish Cancer Foundation which has helped made this work possible.”

The Scottish Cancer Foundation is the only charity in Scotland dedicated to the prevention of cancer. It is supporting research in Scotland by funding research fellowships in memory of the charity’s joint founder, Sir Patrick Forrest who was responsible for the introduction of breast screening in the NHS in 1988. It announced support for the project on World Cancer Day on February 4.

The Scottish Cancer Foundation chairman, Professor Bob Steele said: “Thanks to recent fund-raising efforts, we are able to offer support to this important research project. Maximising the effectiveness of existing screening programmes that can detect cancer at an early stage is vital in preventing people going on to develop more serious disease. This project is asking searching questions and we look forward to finding out the answers.” #WorldCancerDay #UnitedByUnique @worldcancerday