MALCOLM Marshall's untimely death has drawn attention to a disease which claims around 17,000 lives every year in the UK alone, yet there is no screening programme to combat it.

Bowel cancer, also known as rectal, colorectal or colon cancer, is the third most common cancer affecting between 40-50,000 people annually.

Patient embarrassment, confusing symptoms and a low profile in the media have combined to make it one of the biggest health risks, particularly for older generations.

But now scientists have launched a large-scale clinical trial involving 400,000 people nationwide to test the value of setting up a nationwide screening programme.

Dr Bob Coates, a public health expert at Southampton and South West Hampshire Health Authority, said: "It's very rare for bowel cancer to affect someone of Malcolm Marshall's age - only one or two per cent of cases are in his age group.

"The jury is still out on whether a national screening programme should be introduced. It's possible to check for colon cancer by testing a sample of faeces - but that has not been properly assessed yet.

"Before you set up a screening programme you have to be sure it works properly. You have to be confident that it will identify the real cases and reassure those who haven't got it.

"We've seen from several cervical smear scares the importance of having a reliable screening technique. There's no point pouring lots of resources, energy and time into screening if you can't guarantee it will reduce the number of deaths. Those resources might be better spent on treatment and surgery."

Dr Tim Iveson, consultant medical oncologist at Southampton General Hospital, said bowel cancer was more likely to affect people aged 60 and above.

He added: "Five to ten per cent of patients might have a family history - something in their genes which makes them more prone to it.

"Eating lots of fibre can reduce the risk. Populations with high-fibre diets across the world tend to have less incidence of bowel cancer. But I've seen people with very healthy diets who have still contracted the disease.

"The most common symptoms are rectal bleeding, a change of bowel habit - constipation or diarrhoea - or anaemia caused by the bleeding tumour. These symptoms can be caused by other conditions but they should always be checked out by a doctor."

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