Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the second most lethal cancer after lung cancer, with the highest incidence rates being reported in developed countries. According to Cancer Research UK, bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, representing up to 12% of total cancer cases during 2021–22. Only half of the newly diagnosed cases survive more than five years.
However, with routine screening for this cancer and the development of newer and less invasive technologies to replace the highly invasive colonoscopy, early detection is feasible. With increased bowel cancer screening, more people will survive bowel cancer in the future.
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Bowel cancer is a significant health burden, and GlobalData epidemiologists forecast that there will be 50,000 diagnosed incident cases of bowel cancer in the UK in 2026. This will increase to 55,000 diagnosed incident cases in 2031, at an annual growth rate of 1.8%. The increase in cases can be attributed to the projected growth in the population and the increase in incidence rates for this cancer.
According to National Health Service (NHS) England, 7 million people had a bowel screening from the NHS in 2025, compared to around 4.7 million people in 2015. Bowel cancer screening was introduced in 2006, and 70,000 cancers have been detected among the 85 million people screened since then. A further 270,000 people have been identified as being at risk of bowel cancer and were monitored. Bowel screening was introduced in 2006 for people aged 60 years and older. However, since 2021, screenings have also been offered to ages 50–59 years as bowel cancer risk has increased in the younger population. Bowel cancer screening awareness has improved in recent years, and screenings in people ages 60–years and older has increased from 50% in 2006 to 70% in 2025. With the introduction of a home testing kit, it is easier for people to get screened, and the NHS has sent almost 9 million home-testing kits per year to the UK population.
The home testing kit is called a faecal immunochemical test, and it checks blood in a stool sample, which is a possible sign of bowel cancer. Due to the wide coverage and adoption of this screening kit, the National Cancer Plan for England, which was published in February 2026, is committed to delivering 17,000 earlier diagnoses by 2035 and saving almost 6,000 lives using the home testing kits.
Recent advances in early detection screening and treatment options for bowel cancer are a positive development. Genetic testing and better documentation of family history can enable those with hereditary predispositions to take preventive measures. Public health awareness about diet and lifestyle choices is important, as alcohol consumption, obesity, and red processed meat are major risk factors for bowel cancer.
