Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
For the first time, more than a million people in Scotland invited for screening over two years - between November 2012 and October 2014 - successfully completed and returned their testing kits. Uptake between those dates was 57.6 per cent, with around 26,000 more kits returned compared to the period November 2011 to October 2013.
Mr Stevenson said:
“I am greatly encouraged by these latest figures on the uptake and return of home bowel screening test kits. This test is the most effective way to detect bowel cancer early – at a time when it can often be cured.
“I would urge more of my constituents to take part in this exercise which can have life changing consequences, and dramatically increase the chances of survival if cancer is found.”
“I would urge more of my constituents to take part in this exercise which can have life changing consequences, and dramatically increase the chances of survival if cancer is found.”
The largest increase in uptake was in the most deprived 20 per cent of areas – an increase of nearly two percentage points compared to the previous two year period. Of those who completed their kit, two per cent received a positive test result and of those, 6.9 per cent had bowel cancer.
It has been shown that nine out of 10 people will survive bowel cancer if it is detected early.
