What you need to know
In the UK bowel cancer screening is automatically offered to all individuals between the ages of 60 and 74. The programme is being expanded over 4 years from 2021 to include thosed aged between 50 and 59 years. The test kit is known as the FIT test and it detects small amounts of human blood (not readily seen by the naked eye). It is automatically sent to those within the age group mentioned who are registered with a GP every 2 years.
The test is performed by obtaining a sample of your poo on a stick, placing it into the provided bottle and posting it in the provided envelope as soon as possible. The diagram below shows how the poo should be collected and posted
Blood in the stool may be an indication of polyps or bowel cancer. The sensitivity (a correct diagnosis of bowel cancer) and specificity (excluding bowel cancer0 of the FIT test is 79 and 94% respectively.
If blood is seen in the stool this will lead onto further investigations usually a colonscopy – a telescope test to assess the inside of the large bowel. Click on the following links to know more about colonoscopy:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/colonoscopy/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/colonoscopy
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