Residents are being asked to be vigilant and know the warning signs for bowel cancer.

The Department of Health and Social Care is issuing the message in support of the UK’s ’Be Clear on Cancer’ screening campaign.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of, and promote participation in, the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme among those who are eligible to participate, 60 to 74 year olds.

People in this age bracket who are registered with a GP will receive an NHS bowel cancer screening kit through the post, every two years.

Bowel cancer screening is a simple and private test that can be done at home. It is designed to detect early signs of bowel cancer.

The key message of the campaign is ’This little kit could save your life’, and is supported by secondary messages such as the test ’is meant for people with no symptoms’ and ’it can find bowel cancer at an early stage, when it is easier to treat successfully’ which aim to overcome some common misconceptions about bowel screening.

Bowel cancer screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16 per cent.

When bowel cancer is diagnosed at the earliest stage, more than nine in 10 people will survive the disease for more than five years.

Dr Henrietta Ewart, the island’s director of public health, explained: ’I recommend that patients complete their bowel cancer screening test when it arrives through the post because it’s one of the best ways to find bowel cancer early, when it’s easier to treat successfully.

’I also encourage everyone to read the leaflet sent with their test kit, to help them decide whether to take part because bowel cancer screening is a personal choice.’

More information is available at www.cruk.org.uk/beclearoncancer and www.gov.im/screening.

Alternatively call the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Helpline on Freephone 0800 707 6060.