Dr Sas Banerjee, Colorectal Surgeon at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, is urging Londoners who have been sent a free NHS bowel cancer screening kit to complete and return the test when they receive it. “Doing the test is quick and easy. It is for people with no symptoms and most people do not require any further investigations. So, if you are sent a kit, please use it.”
Bowel cancer screening can prevent bowel cancer or find it at an early stage when it’s easier to treat. Research shows that those who complete their test are 25% less likely to die from bowel cancer. However, uptake of bowel cancer screening is lower in London than the rest of England, particularly in boroughs with a high population of ethnic minority communities.
Who is eligible for bowel cancer screening?
It is for anyone aged 56 to 74. Anyone eligible in England who is registered with a GP is automatically sent the test kit to their home address.
Why is it important for eligible South Asians to complete bowel cancer screening?
Adults from the South Asian community in the UK are typically less likely to take part in screening. Bowel cancer screening is one of the best ways to prevent bowel cancer or diagnose it at an earlier stage when it is easier to treat.
How is the test completed?
Completing your bowel cancer screening test is simple and easy to do. You do not need to touch your stool. You use a container or toilet paper to catch your stool. Then you simply collect a small sample of it using the plastic stick provided. You put the stick in the sample bottle, seal it shut and send it to the NHS for testing in a lab - no stamp needed. You can watch a brief tutorial on doing the test at www.nhs.uk/bowel
What does the lab look for?
Stool samples are checked in a lab for tiny amounts of blood. Blood can be a sign of polyps or bowel cancer. Polyps are growths in the bowel. They are not cancer but may turn into cancer over time.
Can someone give their bowel cancer screening kit away if they don’t use it?
No, the bowel cancer screening kit you receive is specific to you and must only be used by you. It contains private information, such as your NHS number.
What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?
The free NHS bowel cancer screening test is for people with no symptoms. If you have any of the following symptoms for more than three weeks, please contact your GP, even if you have recently completed a bowel cancer screening test:
- A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habits causing you to go to the toilet more often with looser, runnier stools
- Blood in your stool or bleeding from your bottom
- Pain in your stomach or bottom
- Unexplained weight loss
- A straining feeling from the bottom
- A lump in your back passage or abdomen
- Tiredness
What should someone do if they need more information?
Visit https://www.healthylondon.org/BCS or call the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 6060.
