England will lower the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) threshold for bowel cancer from 120 to 80 micrograms of blood per gram of stool, aiming for full nationwide rollout by March 2028.

Starting February, the threshold drop will trigger more follow-up testing, increasing screenings and the potential for earlier cancer detection.

Since 2024, England widened screening eligibility to ages 50-74 and beyond, with about 7 million kits sent in 2023-24, a 68% return rate, and 5,320 cancers identified; roughly 1.2 million more people are now eligible.

Officials describe the change as a major advance in early warning and cancer prevention within the national screening program.

To boost uptake, new digital alerts through the NHS App will notify people when a test is on the way, as part of broader digitalization under the National Cancer Plan.

Bowel cancer remains a significant UK health issue, ranking as a common cancer with substantial new cases among men and women annually.

The threshold change will be outlined in England’s national cancer plan, set to launch on World Cancer Day.

The FIT test remains home-based and mailed for analysis, with no changes to patient collection.

The program rollout is expected to yield around 600 additional bowel cancer detections per year (about an 11% increase) and require a 35% rise in screening colonoscopies.

NHS England anticipates a 35% annual increase in colonoscopies, with the share of test-takers needing further testing rising from about 2 in 100 to about 3 in 100.

The lowered threshold could enable earlier detection of roughly 600 more cancers annually and identify about 2,000 more people with high‑risk polyps.

Nationwide rollout of the lower threshold will be completed by March 2028, following National Screening Committee recommendations, with some eligibility reminders continuing via post.