The Marie Keating Foundation is making an urgent call to Government to reduce the age of bowel cancer screening from 58 to 50, as startling figures show that one in five people diagnosed with the disease in Ireland is to someone under 60.

We are deeply concerned about the current situation in our country.

According to the 2024 National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI) report, 2,855 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in Ireland every year, 1,649 men and 1,206 women.

Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death overall for men and women in Ireland.

60% of cases are diagnosed at a late stage. This devastating disease is the second most common cause of cancer death in our nation, resulting in more than 1,000 deaths per year.

With all cancers, survival is strongly influenced by stage at diagnosis.

Bowel cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 97% in those diagnosed at Stage I and this reduces dramatically to just 14% in those diagnosed at Stage 4.

National Cancer Registry Ireland figures show that the incidence of bowel cancer amongst those under 50 has almost doubled in just 25 years.

1 in 5 diagnoses of bowel cancer in Ireland is to someone under 60.

1 in 10 diagnoses is to someone under 50. 

Despite these concerning trends, the current age for Bowel Screen is 58, leaving a critical gap in early detection efforts.

We believe it's time for a change.

We are working closely with Bowel Cancer Ireland (formerly the Irish Colorectal Cancer Community), an advocacy group consisting of people diagnosed with early onset bowel cancer.

We are urgently calling on our Government to reduce the age for bowel cancer screening from 58 to 50 years old.

This change will save lives.

Please join us in urging our Government to take immediate action - sign this petition today!