Medical experts have urged the Government to reduce the current lower age limit for the national bowel cancer screening programme from 60 to 55 years.

Under the BowelScreen programme, people are sent a simple home test to take a sample of stool which is then sent to a lab to be checked for the presence of blood. If blood is found, the individual is invited to undergo a colonoscopy to check for cancer or pre-cancerous polyps.

A study carried out by the Gastrointestinal Unit at Dublin's Mater Hospital has found that the number of polyps detected in patients over 55 years of age was significant, thus supporting the lowering of the entry age limit.

At present, BowelScreen is only being offered to men and women aged between 60 and 69 years. It is envisaged that the programme will in future be extended to men and woman aged 55 to 74.

The study found that bowel polyps were identified in 31% of people over 55 years compared to 16% of people less than 55 years of age.

Mater hospital consultant gastroenterologist Prof Padraic MacMathuna said the figures support the expansion of the national programme to include people  from 55 years of age.

"Strictly speaking, if international best practice is to be applied, the screening programme should be available to men from 50 years of age and to women from 55 years of age. Available resources do not make that option feasible at the moment."

"For practical reasons the programme has been launched, with a target age-group of 60-69 years. The long-term plan is to extend the programme to men and women aged from 55 to 74, and our figures would certainly support that move," Prof MacMathuna said.

The research was presented at the Irish Society of Gastroenterology summer meeting.