What is Bowel Screening?

Bowel Screening is the early detection of cancer or cancer pre cursers such as adenomas within the bowel, before the presence of symptoms.  The target profile is those most at risk of developing the disease, men and women age 59 to 70.  This is the first cancer screening programme to include both men and women, and the plan is to increase the age cohort eventually to 55 to 75 years.

What is involved?

Those within the age 59 to 70 years are invited to take part in the programme.  They are offered a free home screening test called a FIT kit.  FIT stands for Faecal Immunochemistry Test and it is the screening tool used to detect the presence of blood within the stool sample of the client taking part. 

How is the test done?

The benefit of the FIT kit is that it is done in the privacy of the clients’ home.  The easy-to-use home test kit includes step by step instructions, packaging that is user friendly, has easy to follow diagrams and instructions on how to obtain the stool sample and how to return the sample to the lab. 

A small sample of stool is collected by the client on the sampling stick

Sample stick is inserted in to the tube

Tube is placed in the sealed plastic bag

Plastic bag is placed in the pre addressed and pre-paid envelope and sent back to the lab for analysis to determine if the stool detects any blood, perhaps not visible to the eye of the client.

Results:

Within 4 weeks the client and their GP will receive their FIT test results.  95% of participants will receive a “normal” result indicating that no blood was detected or levels that do not signify the requirement for further testing.  This cohort will be sent out another home test kit in 2 years once they remain under the age profile of 70. 

The remaining 5 % their details are transferred to one of the designated BowelScreen units with the aim of proceeding for a colonoscopy.  Colonoscopy is the gold standard investigation for examining the lining of the large bowel for any abnormalities.  It involves the insertion of a flexible tube with a camera in to a bowel empty of contents to closely assess the lining of the bowel.