People are being urged to get tested as part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.

Brighton's Act on Cancer Together (ACT) project is encouraging everyone between the ages of 54 and 74 to undergo regular screening.

These are conducted at home and can help diagnose cancer early by identifying traces of blood in faeces.

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Tests are posted back to the NHS and if they are positive then people will be invited to undergo further checks by healthcare professionals.

According to ACT, almost 43,000 new cases of bowel cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year.

If detected early, successful treatment is possible in more than 90 per cent of these cases.

Current statistics show that only seven out of every ten eligible individuals in England take the test.

Jilly Stevens, who took the test and was later diagnosed with cancer after further checks, said it  saved her life.

She said: "I did my tests religiously. I had no symptoms and no idea that I had anything wrong with me.

"When one test wasn't normal, I had a colonoscopy, and I was told I had cancer. That test saved my life.

"From the moment I was diagnosed, I had the most wonderful support from everyone in the NHS and my Macmillan nurse and her colleagues were absolutely wonderful.

"I was supported as a person rather than just a patient."

The common bowel cancer symptoms include anal bleeding or blood in the faeces, unexplained weight loss, excessive fatigue without a known cause, persistent and unexplained changes in bowel habits, and the presence of abdominal lumps or pain.

These symptoms should be checked out by healthcare professionals even if the person affected is not in the age bracket most likely to develop this form of cancer.

By the end of 2024, people aged between 50 and 53 in England will also be invited to screen for bowel cancer.

If you are 75 or over, you can ask for a kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.