The government should test everyone aged 55 to 75 for bowel cancer every two years, the national health council said on Tuesday.

The test, which can be carried out at home, would save 1,400 lives a year, the council said. Nearly 4,000 people die of bowel cancer in the Netherlands every year and 11,000 cases are reported.
A pilot project using different screening methods in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Nijmegen has been successful, the council said.
The government had asked the health council to look into the issue.
The cost of the screening programme would be €33m a year once it is properly up and running, the Volkskrant said.