Bowel cancer screening uptake falls to 57%
The uptake of screening for bowel cancer has decreased, with those in the poorest parts of Scotland least likely to be checked.
The uptake of screening for bowel cancer has decreased, with those in the poorest parts of Scotland least likely to be checked.
New figures show 57% of those eligible for screening took up the offer between May 2014 and April 2016, below the target of 60%.
The proportion has dropped slightly from 57.7% recorded in the two-year period May 2013 to April 2015, with women (60.1%) more likely to be screened than men (53.8%).
All adults aged 50-74 are invited to take part in bowel screening every two years in Scotland, with those aged over 74 able to opt-in.
The test remains the best way of finding bowel cancer early, when survival is 14 times more likely.
However the latest figures show uptake is falling behind in the most deprived parts of the country, at just 44.2% compared to 66.2% in the most affluent areas.
Overall cancer detection was slightly higher in men (6.7%) than women (6.1%), with three out of five diagnosed at the earliest two stages.
Gregor McNie, of Cancer Research UK, said: "It's concerning that there has been a small decrease in the proportion of people returning their bowel cancer screening kit.
"Screening can diagnose bowel cancer at an early stage, when treatment is more likely to be effective.
"One big challenge is that people living in Scotland's more deprived communities are still less likely to return the kit.
"We hope the new Scottish Government money allocated to address this inequality can be invested as swiftly and effectively as possible."