Free screening for colorectal cancer will be offered by the government from October in its second national programme aimed at reducing the incidence of the killer disease.

Detecting the disease in the early stages would also improve survival rates

In October, men and women aged between 60 and 64 – the bracket most at risk – will be invited to do a simple test at home to find any traces of blood in the stool.

The faecal occult blood test (FOBT) can indicate the presence of polyps, which could prevent the cancer altogether through their removal. Detecting the disease in the early stages would also improve survival rates and require less aggressive treatment, Health Minister Joe Cassar said.

If traces of blood are found, other tests would be carried out, including a colonoscopy.

Over a two-year cycle, 28,000 men and women will be invited to do the test, with Dr Cassar urging them to take it seriously to avoid health problems.

The Health Ministry had been studying the feasibility of the screening programme since 2010 and had confirmed its introduction that December but did not yet have any timeframes.

Candidates will be receiving the test kit by post. A sample of their faeces is taken on a “matchstick”, which is then placed in a special flat bottle and sent in an already addressed envelope straight into a testing machine at Mater Dei Hospital.

The national colorectal screening programme was launched six months prior to the start because the public needed to be educated about the test they had to carry out, unlike in the case of breast screening.

The public’s cooperation was vital, Dr Cassar said. They would also need to prepare their body beforehand, through a special diet. Meanwhile, training and logistical preparations were also under way.

The head of national cancer screening programmes, Nadine Delicata, said much had been learnt from the successful breast screening service, which has, so far, sent out invitations to 28,462 women. About 16,000 accepted and 120, who would have had no idea they had breast cancer, were diagnosed.

The rate of attendance has grown from 44 per cent to a stable 56, she said, adding the new programme would draw on this experience.