Though many people don’t realise it, colorectal cancer is a common form of this disease – also referred to as bowel cancer, the chances of fighting this condition are far higher if it is caught early. In the UK, a screening programme operates for older people which offers an easy way for colorectal cancer to be detected. It’s also offered to younger people if they have an increased risk of developing the symptoms of bowel cancer. Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum – typically, there are no symptoms in the early stages of the disease, which is why it can go unnoticed without screening. As the cancer progresses, symptoms begin to show – these include bleeding from the rectum, changes in your bowel habit such as prolonged episodes of diarrhoea, and anaemia which can make you tired and lethargic. A screening looks for the early signs of the disease and can detect it in people who may not have symptoms yet – this is the prime stage where treatment is at its most effective the majority of the time. There are two forms of screening: either a test to detect traces of blood in your faeces, which is referred to as faecal occult blood or FOB test, or an examination of your bowel. The FOB test is the screening option offered routinely throughout the UK for those in a certain age range, but it’s believed that the latter will be offered in the future as a matter of routine as well. Often, the amounts of blood in the faeces of someone with colorectal cancer are unnoticeable which is why the screening is so important for people at a susceptible age. The test involves providing three samples of your faeces which are tested for traces of blood – you’ll be sent an FOB screening kit automatically once you’re within the age range tested, and then another every two years until you reach the maximum age. Although it can seem embarrassing to some people and unpleasant, it’s vitally important and is a quick and easy way to ensure you don’t have the disease. However, colorectal cancer is just one of the causes of blood in your faeces, and the test doesn’t ascertain where the blood has come from, so further testing will need to take place.
In England, the age range for people offered screening is 60 to 69 – if you’re 70 and above, you can request screening by contacting your GP. The test will be offered to people up to the age of 74 by 2014 as standard. In Scotland, the screening age is 50 to 74, in Wales it is 60 to 74, and in Northern Ireland it is for ages 60 to 71. An FOB test will either be negative, unclear or positive. If it’s negative, this means that there is no blood present and you don’t have the disease – this is the result for 98 in every 100 people. If the test comes back as unclear, you will need to repeat your FOB test – this is the result for around 2 in every 100 people. For those with a positive test result, this means that there is blood present. This will require further testing via a colonoscopy which examines your colon for signs of cancer. There are a number of reasons why there could be blood present though, such as haemorrhoids, so having a positive test result doesn’t necessarily mean that there are cancerous cells present. The test is fairly new in medical terms, so it can be difficult to determine how effective it is – initial statistics, however, show that it’s identifying the disease in many people which is saving lives. Studies suggests that nearly 2,500 lives could be saved every year by 2025 thanks to the FOB screening kit.