Controlled prospective study of faecal occult blood screening for colorectal cancer in Bury, black pudding capital of the world

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in the United Kingdom, claiming 20 000 lives each year. Most cancers originate from malignant transformation of adenomas, and screening the general population to detect asymptomatic adenomas and early cancers shows the greatest potential to reduce mortality. In the most evaluated screening protocol, small volumes of blood loss from such lesions are detected by a faecal occult blood test, and people testing positive then have a colonoscopy. This reduces mortality in two ways: detection and endoscopic removal of adenomas prevents later transformation and may reduce the incidence of cancer by 16%1; and early detection of carcinomas allows treatment of less advanced lesions, resulting in a better prognosis. A large trial of such screening showed that a 15% reduction in mortality from colorectal cancer can be achieved. …