Bowel screening

What is bowel cancer?

Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the third most common cancer in the UK. It can occur at an earlier age but eight out of 10 people who develop it are over the age of 60 years. Bowel cancer develops when the cells that line the bowel grow too quickly forming clumps or polyps which are not cancerous but may become so over time if left

Why have a screening programme?

The earlier bowel cancer is detected, for example through screening, quicker more simple treatment can be provided and early treatment saves lives. Bowel cancer screening is being offered to men and women in Oxfordshire, aged 60-69 years on a two yearly basis and is provided free by the Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust and the Royal Berkshire Hospital Trust for those patients who are registered with practices on the border with Berkshire. It is currently planned that the programme in Oxfordshire will be extended to those aged 70-74 years from 2012.

When will I be invited for screening?

If you are in your sixties you will be invited to take part in the bowel cancer screening programme. Not all invitations will be sent out at once so it could be up to two years before you receive your invitation. If you have any concerns about your health don’t wait for the screening programme but see your GP who will advise and refer you appropriately. If you are aged 70 years and over you may refer yourself for screening by asking your GP or contacting the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Helpline on 0800 707 60 60.

What does screening involve?

You will be sent a kit in the post with instructions to use at home in private. The test involves collecting a small sample of faeces and sending this off to a laboratory for analysis in a special hygienic envelope. These samples will be tested for tiny traces of blood called faecal occult blood (FOB). This test does not detect bowel cancer but will indicate whether you need further tests or examination of the bowel.

What happens if my screening result is positive?

Most people will receive a normal result and will be screened again in two years. Out of every 100 people who take the test about two people will have a positive result and need to have further tests. These people are offered an appointment with a specialist nurse and may be referred for a colonoscopy at a local screening centre - the Horton General Hospital, the John Radcliffe Hospital or the Royal Berkshire Hospital. A colonoscopy is an examination of the lining of the large bowel (colon) using a tiny camera on the end of a flexible tube. Most people who have a colonoscopy will have a normal result. About three in 10 people will be found to have polyps which can be removed at the time. About one in 10 will have cancer detected.

What symptoms should I be aware of?

If you experience any of the following symptoms you should visit your GP and not wait to be called by the screening programme.

a change in your normal bowel habit (such as diarrhoea or constipation) for no obvious reason, lasting longer than six weeks
blood in, or on the stools (bowel motions) - the blood may be bright red or dark in colour
unexplained weight loss
pain in the tummy (abdomen) or back passage
a feeling of not having emptied your bowel properly after a bowel motion.