NHS Bowel Cancer Test Kit
Being a 58 year old man, I welcome any undertaking which can potentially improve my health. One such thing is proactive screening and testing. The UK National Health Service has started doing a lot more of this in recent years, mainly because diagnosing a problem and treating it early is far more efficient and cost effective than retroactive action. Hence this policy and my age is why I was recently sent a NHS Bowel Cancer Test Kit via the post. This screening service takes place every two years for people aged 50 to 74 in the UK. The kit is very quick and simple to use. A sample of your stool is sent via a prepaid return envelope for testing and the entire process is free of charge. Upon receipt, the laboratory test determines whether there is any blood present in your stool, which is a potential indicator of bowel cancer. If detected, an early diagnosis greatly improves any subsequent treatment outcomes.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Almost 44,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. More than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50. But bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age. More than 2,600 new cases are diagnosed in people under the age of 50 every year. However, bowel cancer is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early. Nearly everyone survives bowel cancer if diagnosed at the earliest stage. However this drops significantly as the disease develops. Early diagnosis saves lives. More than 16,800 people die from bowel cancer in the UK every year. But the number of people dying of bowel cancer has been falling since the 1970s. This is due to earlier diagnosis, better treatment options and the start of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Hence my willingness to take part in this screening.
The NHS Bowel Cancer Test Kit consists of a sample bottle which has an integral stick built into the lid. You collect a small amount of your stool on the stick and securely seal it in the bottle. A diagram shows you exactly how much you need to collect. The sample bottle is then placed in a robust return envelope and posted back to your local screening centre. The results are sent back to participants usually within two weeks. Most people return negative test results and are invited to be screened again in two years time. If blood is detected in the stool sample, this does not necessarily indicate cancer. However, further tests are usually carried out, such as a colonoscopy to investigate the cause of its presence. Overall, the NHS Bowel Cancer Test Kit is a discreet and efficient means of testing for bowel cancer. It proactively save lives which is a good thing. Hence if you live in the UK and are eligible for such a test, don’t pass up on the opportunity
