By Marjory Inglis, health reporter

A BOWEL cancer screening programme pioneered in Tayside will prevent around 150 deaths a year when the programme is rolled out across Scotland.

That’s one of the conclusions of a review of bowel cancer services across Scotland, to be published today.

A national screening programme would save almost four times as many lives as the current breast screening programme. The report states that breast screening prevents 40 deaths a year, while cervical screening prevents 26 deaths annually.

Professor Bob Steele, a cancer specialist based in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, spearheaded the pilot scheme launched in early 2000 which established that a national screening programme was feasible.

The pilot scheme resulted in an unusual postbag for the professor’s team that sent testing kits to every man and woman between the ages of 50 and 69 in Tayside and Fife, and invited them to return stool samples which were then tested for minute traces of blood that can give early warning of bowel cancer.

The chances of developing bowel cancer greatly increases after the age of 50, hence the age range targeted by the study.

When the scheme was launched it was already known from small-scale studies that screening prevented bowel cancer, but what was not known was how many people would take the opportunity to participate in a national programme and whether the NHS could run such a programme successfully.

“The work that has really galvanised the national screening programme has come from Tayside,” said Professor Steele. “Screening is highly successful here.

“Based on the results of that pilot, both the Scottish and English health departments have agreed to roll out a national screening programme which should be in place across the whole of the UK by 2009.”

Today’s report reveals that bowel cancer is the second highest cause of cancer death in Scotland.

Some 3500 cases are diagnosed every year. While survival rates are improving, they lag behind rates in other European countries. Bowel cancer cases are also on the rise in Scotland. Within the next 10 years it is expected that 4400 cases will be identified annually.

The report states that the NHS provides good quality treatment for bowel cancer patients, but calls for an improvement in waiting times and the training of more staff to carry out diagnostic services.

Professor Steele said access to diagnostic testing was “not a problem unique to Tayside” and the region was probably “better off” in that respect than many other parts of Scotland.

“Waiting times for diagnostic tests is an issue related to screening and something the Scottish Executive has agreed to take forward in parallel with introducing the screening programme (nationally).”

By undertaking a screening programme, disease will inevitably be picked up that requires treatment and Professor Steele was asked if adequate diagnostic testing and treatment is available in Tayside and Fife.

“We have got capacity in terms of (diagnostic) facilities and equipment but staffing is an issue,” he said.

The Audit Scotland report identified a need to train more staff in diagnostic testing and said few endoscopy suites were used to full capacity, due to a shortage of suitably qualified staff.

If the initial stool sample gives cause for concern, patients are sent for an endoscopic examination. Specialist nurses have been trained to carry out the procedure but Professor Steele said it is labour intensive requiring two nurses in addition to the endoscopist.

The report calls for an improvement in the waiting time from GP referral to treatment. Professor Steele said that in Tayside the maximum waiting time target for urgent referrals of two months was being met but that figure could be improved upon.