Screening

What is bowel screening?

The method used by the NHS Screening Programme to screen for bowel cancer is a simple FOB (faecal occult blood) test which detects blood hidden in the small samples of faeces (poo). You complete the test over the course of a few days, in the privacy of your own home. Once complete, you simply return it in the post to a central laboratory for testing.

An FOB test does not diagnose bowel cancer but will identify blood in the faeces (poo). A positive test will trigger an invitation to have an investigation to find out what is causing the bleeding. 

Bowel screening was gradually introduced across England, Wales and Scotland from 2006 in a rolling programme which now covers the whole of mainland UK. It aims to detect polyps and other changes in the bowel that might develop into bowel cancer in the future.  .. It can detect bowel cancer at a much earlier stage, before people are experiencing any obvious symptoms. This is very important because bowel cancer is usually a very slow growing disease, and can be cured with a straightforward operation if it is detected before it has started to spread. Benign (harmless) polyps can also be removed quickly and easily in a simple procedure that will significantly reduce the risk of bowel cancer developing later. 

Why should I take part in the bowel screening programme?

Regular screening has been shown to be very effective in detecting changes in the bowel, like polyps, before they have a chance to change and become a life threatening illness. Results from the current uptake of the national screening programme suggest that it has already made a big difference by detecting polyps that have been removed, safely and easily, and reducing the risk of dying from bowel cancer.

Bowel cancer affects over 38,500 people every year – men and women of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. When diagnosis is made early, before it has had a chance to spread, bowel cancer can be cured in 90% of cases. Bowel cancer diagnosed at a later stage can still be treated successfully, but this depends on people recognising and acting on symptoms as soon as they notice them. The message is simple - the later a diagnosis is made, the more difficult bowel cancer is to treat, so don't delay! If you have been invited to take part in bowel cancer screening, make sure you do it. It could save your life.

How does the screening programme work?

Watch our Bowel 1,2,3 film in which Dr Chris Steele explains how easy it is to use the screening test kit.

An invitation letter will be sent to you, followed 2 weeks later by a screening test kit are sent out to people in the target age group. Your screening programme will start within a few weeks of your 60th birthday (50 in Scotland), and be repeated automatically, every two years until your 75th birthday. The pack comes with full instructions on how to complete the test in the privacy of your own home. Over a period of several days, very small samples of your faeces (poo) are collected on a special test card, after you use the toilet. This card is then posted back to a laboratory, where a chemical is added to the samples on the card to check for blood.

If the test is positive, you and your GP will be notified of the result and you will be asked to undertake a further investigation.

Around 98 in 100 people will test 'negative' and will be asked to undertake a further test in 2 years if you are still within the eligible age range.

Around 2 in 100 people will test 'positive' and will be invited to have further investigations.

Occasionally - in around 4 in 100 people - the test may initially be 'unclear' which means you will be asked to repeat the test. This can happen for many reasons, including not having enough of a sample to test. Most people who repeat the test receive a 'negative' result.

What if I'm not eligible for screening?

Screening ages are set to reflect the fact that bowel cancer occurs most commonly in people over the age of 50, and is usually a slow growing disease. If you don't qualify for the screening programme due to your age, you might like to consider a private screening service. Please refer to our factsheet 'Screening For Bowel Cancer' for further information.  You can order a screening kit online from several, reputable private companies, at an average cost of £20.00.

If you recognise bowel cancer symptoms, don't wait for a screening kit to be sent to you, but talk to your GP straight away. He/she can advise and refer you for further investigations without delay.

National bowel screening programmes

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland each have a slightly different strategy for bowel cancer screening:

England

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is offered every two years to everyone (registered with a GP) in England aged 60 to 74. People over 75 can request a screening kit by calling the freephone helpline below.

The programme should start within a few days of your 60th birthday and continue automatically, provided you are registered with a GP practice and they have an accurate record of your home address. If you are within the screening age range and have not yet received your first test kit, please contact the national helpline to request one.

More information is available from www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk or call 0800 707 60 60.

Wales

The Bowel Screening Wales programme is offered every two years to everyone (registered with a GP) in Wales aged 60 to 69.

By 2015, the programme will be extended to screen everyone aged between 50 and 74.

The organisation of sending out testing kits works in exactly the same way as the programme for England. More information is available from: www.wales.nhs.uk/bsw or call 0800 294 3370.

Scotland

The Scottish Bowel Screening Programme is offered every two years to everyone (registered with a GP) in Scotland between the ages of 50 to 74.

The organisation for sending out of testing kits works in exactly the same way as the programme for England.

More information is available from www.bowelscreening.scot.nhs.uk or call 0800 0121 833.

Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Bowel Cancer Screening Programme offers screening every two years to all men and women aged 60 to 69 (the upper age limit will rise to 71 from April 2012).After your first screening test you will be sent another invitation and screening kit every two years for as long as you remain within the screening age group.

Full information on the programme is available at www.cancerscreening.hscni.net or call 0800 015 2514.

Ireland

Preparations are underway for roll-out of the bowel screening programme in Ireland. Phase one of the programme is scheduled for introduction in mid 2012, on a phased basis starting with men and women aged 60-69. Over time the programme will be extended on a phased basis until the full 55-74 age group is reached.

More information is available from www.cancerscreening.ie or call 353 1 865 9300.