We're delighted that aerospace giant Ontic is partnering with 40tude to provide colon cancer testing to its UK employees.

This initiative is a key component of 40tude’s Half:Time Test campaign, encouraging more people to get tested regularly for this type of cancer from the mid-point of their lives. 

Colon cancer (also known as bowel or colorectal cancer) is the biggest cancer killer of non-smokers in the UK.  It affects men and women, and there are 120 new cases and 50 deaths in the UK every day.  Colon cancer is on the rise, particularly in younger people: cases in the under 50s have increased by 22% since the 1990s, the highest percentage increase in Europe. 

This doesn’t have to be the case however: colon cancer can be treated if it is detected early.  90% of patients survive if it is found at Stage 1, but only 10% survive Stage 4.  The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is proven to reduce colon cancer incidence, however more than 30% of people do not take up testing when it is offered to them (starting from the age of 50).  40tude aims to raise awareness of the importance of getting tested regularly for this type of cancer, ideally from the age of 45.

To enable this, 40tude has developed an exciting new programme to make colon cancer testing accessible to people under 50.  Having successfully piloted this programme with the help of our friends at Brompton Bicycle and Wype, we’re delighted that Ontic is working with 40tude to offer free qFIT tests to its UK employees aged between 45-49 and not yet eligible for the National Bowel Screening Programme, as part of its employee wellness programme.   

A qFIT (Quantitative Faecal Immunochemical Test) is a test for colon cancer that detects hidden blood in stool (poo).  It's a simple test that can be done at home: you collect a small amount of poo and then post the sample to a laboratory for analysis. Antibodies are used to detect human haemoglobin protein from blood in the sample. 40tude has partnered with Selph, a well-regarded provider of at-home health tests, to provide the qFIT tests for this new programme.

“Ontic is very pleased to be partnering with 40tude to roll out this innovative initiative,” said Gareth Hall, CEO of Ontic. “Whilst taking part in the charity’s Tom Smith Ginza Ridge Challenge Team in Japan last Autumn I learnt more about the vital role that testing plays in detecting colon cancer early, and of the plans afoot by 40tude to develop this pioneering campaign, in response to the significant rise in cases now being reported in people under 50.

“As our people make Ontic, we wanted to share this with our teams as quickly as possible, raising awareness of how important it is to take up testing for colon cancer, as this type of cancer can be treated successfully if it is detected early.”
 
Would your organisation be interested in partnering with 40tude to deliver this potentially life-saving initiative?  Please get in touch via [email protected] if you'd like to find out more.