I was healthy and had no symptoms but bowel cancer screening found a stage-two tumour

Only one in four men takes up the first BowelScreen invitation. The simple test can be carried out at home and only takes a few minutes. Brendan Looney says doing it was the best decision he ever made 

Brendan Looney registered for BowelScreen after hearing a radio ad. The decision proved life-saving when cancer was detected in September 2025. He is now a Marie Keating Foundation ambassador. Picture: Moya Nolan

Brendan Looney was in his car, alone, when an ad for the national bowel screening programme caught his attention. A fit and active 61-year-old, who swims in the sea most mornings, he gets his bloods tested every June and has generally looked after himself.

“The one thing I never got checked was my bowel,” Looney says. “But shortly after hearing that ad, I was talking to a friend whose brother had stage-four bowel cancer, so I decided I’d register for the screening. I was healthy. I had no symptoms. I felt great, so I wasn’t expecting any problems.”