Bowel cancer screening to be extended to people aged 50 to 54, minister says

Minister for health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she had asked the HSE to implement an 'ambitious plan' on a phased basis. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

Screening for bowel cancer, the third leading cause for cancer death in Ireland, will be extended to people aged 50 to 54, the health minister has said.

It comes after the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) said it has found consistent evidence that screening from the age of 50 reduces death from colorectal cancer compared to no screening.