Bowel Cancer

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in England and it can affect anyone. A screening kit is sent to people aged around 50 and under 75 years old every 2 years. If you receive a test kit through the post you should complete the test as soon as possible.

Nine out of every 5,000 people who use their test kit turn out to have cancer. But if it’s spotted early, the chances of recovering from bowel cancer are higher. The test can be done in the comfort of your home and only needs a tiny sample of poo to test for signs of cancer. 

You can find guidance on this page about how to complete the test.

If you have lost or misplaced the test kit and need a replacement kit call 0800 707 60 60.

Image: A woman holding a cup. Text: Have you done your bowel cancer screening test.

Accessibility

You can view the videos in the playlist below in English, Gujarati and Urdu.

The first English version has subtitles available in a range of languages. To view the subtitles, click on the ‘settings’ icon in the video window and select the subtitle language of your choice. A transcript of this video can also be seen below the video.

Versions with embedded English subtitles are also available in the playlist.

Transcript

Hello,  I’m Dr Randev and I’m a GP in Leicestershire. I’m sending you this message from your GP practice doctors and nurses to encourage you to complete and return the NHS bowel cancer screening testing kit. You may have just received or be about to receive a kit like this in an envelope addressed to you.  Inside the kit is a letter, a return envelope and a plastic bottle with a stick in it. Why am I encouraging you to complete the test? Well,  bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in England and it can affect anyone.  This kit is sent to people around 50 and under 75 years old every 2 years, and over half of people complete it but we would like more people to do so.

The test is simple to complete and can be done in the privacy of your own bathroom.  Just a tiny sample of poo can detect traces of invisible blood which can be a sign of bowel cancer or other bowel conditions.  Early detection makes it nine times more likely that this can be treated successfully.  The results will come back to you within 2 weeks, and if blood has been found in the sample, you will then be invited to see a specialist nurse, with an interpreter if needed, to discuss having further tests, always maintaining your respect and dignity. 

So, how do you complete the kit? Firstly, place it by your toilet so it’s ready to use when you next go to the toilet for a poo. Write the date that you do the test on the tube but don’t pour away the liquid inside inside the test kit. Place a container,  this could be a plastic takeaway tray an egg box lid for example, into the toilet to catch the stool sample. The stool should not be contaminated by toilet water or urine.  Collect the stool in the container, take the stick from the tube and scrape some of the stool sample onto the ridges of the stick by running it lightly up and down the stool. Put the stick back into the tube and click it firmly to close. The tube goes back into the return freepost envelope provided.  Please post the sample as soon as possible after having completed the kit.

Finally, remember that the NHS bowel cancer screening kit can save your life, so when you get the kit please put it by the toilet and make sure that you complete it and send it back.

Symptoms of bowel cancer

Know the symptoms of bowel cancer: Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit Unexplained weight loss Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason A pain or lump in your tummy

The earlier bowel cancer is spotted, the more treatable it’s likely to be. In fact, more than 9 in 10 people survive bowel cancer when it is diagnosed at the earliest stage, therefore knowing the symptoms is so important and could save your life.

The symptoms of bowel cancer are:  
 
  • Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
  • A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit 
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason 
  • A pain or lump in your tummy

Most people with these symptoms won’t have bowel cancer. Other health problems can cause similar symptoms. But if you experience one or more of these, or if things just don’t feel right, contact your GP straight away.

For more information about bowel cancer, visit: https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/about-bowel-cancer/

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