Bowel cancer screening

Bowel cancer screening is a national programme for people aged 50 to 74.

We send you a test to do at home that checks for signs of bowel cancer. Known as a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), it looks for blood in a sample of your poo.

You don’t have to do anything to get a test. If you're registered with a GP, you'll automatically get a kit through the post every 2 years.

The North of Tyne Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is a partnership between host trust Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

If you are 75 or over, you can still take part in bowel cancer screening every 2 years, but you will not be invited. Phone the free national helpline on 0800 707 60 60.

The bowel is part of your digestive system. It helps your body take nutrients and water from the food you eat. What your body doesn’t need becomes poo.

The large bowel is made up of two parts - the colon and the rectum.

Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK. Your risk of getting bowel cancer gets higher as you get older.

The screening programme helps us find cancer early, often before you have any symptoms.

This can make it easier to treat, treatment can be less intensive, and it increases chances of survival.

Screening can also help to find polyps (non-cancerous growths) which may be growing in the bowel. Polyps can become cancer over time. Screening can help find them, so we can remove them before they do.

Stage 1 - home test kit

We’ll send you a home test kit, called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT).

You use this kit to collect a small sample of poo and send it to a lab.

The lab checks the sample for tiny amounts of blood. This is because polyps and bowel cancers sometimes bleed.

After this, most people will not need any further tests. We offer people who do need further tests an appointment to discuss colonoscopy.

To do the screening test, you need to collect a small amount of your poo using the kit. Please use a clean disposable container to collect your sample. You then send this sample in the post for testing. The kit includes prepaid packaging and full instructions.

Once we’ve checked your sample, we record the result and destroy the test kit and contents.

If you have any questions, please call the free national helpline on 0800 707 60 60. This includes if you:

need help to do the test
are unsure if you should use it, for example, if you’ve had surgery
have a stoma bag (colostomy or ileostomy) and need advice.

It’s best to collect your sample when you’re not having a period. Avoid the 2 days before or after you bleed.

There are videos on how to use the home test kit. These are available in English and other languages, including BSL.

You should get your results within 2 weeks of sending in your sample.

There are 2 possible results:

No further tests needed at this time
Further tests needed

No further tests needed at this time

Most people (around 97 to 98 in 100) have this result.

It means that we did not find any blood in your sample, or only a tiny amount which is less than the screening level.

We’ll offer you bowel cancer screening again in 2 years if you are under the age of 75.

This result does not guarantee that you do not have bowel cancer. Bowel cancer could still develop in the future. See a GP if you have or get symptoms of bowel cancer.

Further tests needed

Around 2 to 3 in 100 people have this result.

It means we found an amount of blood in your poo at or above the screening level. This is also known as a threshold.

Several things can cause blood in poo. We will offer you an appointment to discuss having a colonoscopy to check the cause of the blood.

Stage 2 - appointment with a specialist screening practitioner

As part of bowel screening, we asked you to send in a small sample of poo.

When we examined your sample, we found a small amount of blood.

This can sound worrying, but it’s important to know that this does not mean you have bowel cancer.

In fact, most people with this result do not have cancer.

Blood can appear in the sample for different reasons.

A colonoscopy helps doctors take a closer look inside your bowel to find the cause.

The appointment is with one of our specialist screening practitioners (SSPs).

This is a chance to talk through everything and ask any questions.

They will:

explain your screening result
describe what a colonoscopy involves
talk through the benefits and possible risks

They will also ask about your health and any medicines you take, to make sure the test is suitable for you.

We may offer you a different test instead, such as a CT scan that uses X-rays to look at the bowel.

If a colonoscopy is suitable and you decide to go ahead, it will usually take place at a hospital within two weeks.

Before the test, your bowels need to be empty so the specialist can see clearly.

You will get instructions explaining how to prepare. This will include advice about what to eat and drink in the days before your test.

You will also be given laxatives. Laxatives are medicines that help empty your bowels by making you go to the toilet more often.

You usually take these the day before the procedure.

Following these instructions carefully helps make sure the test works as well as possible.

We see patients at:

North Tyneside General Hospital

Stage 3 - colonoscopy

A colonoscopy is a test that allows a specialist to look inside your bowel. The test is carried out by a specially trained clinician.

They use a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera on the end. This tube is gently passed into your bottom and moved carefully around the bowel.

The camera sends pictures to a screen so the specialist can clearly see the lining of your bowel.

You may feel the tube being inserted, but most people do not find the test painful.

The procedure itself usually takes around 30 to 45 minutes. Your whole appointment may take around 2 hours.

We do colonoscopies at:

On the day of your colonoscopy, we will explain what will happen. We will answer any last questions you may have.

We will ask you to sign a consent form to confirm you are happy to go ahead. You will then change into a hospital gown.

For the test, you will lie on your left side with your knees slightly bent. The colonoscope is gently inserted into your bottom and guided through the large bowel. The tube bends easily so it can move around the natural curves of the bowel.

The specialist may gently pump in a small amount of gas or water to open the bowel and get a clearer view. You might feel bloated or feel like you need to go to the toilet. This is normal, and your bowels should already be empty. Some people also feel mild stomach cramps.

A colonoscopy may feel uncomfortable at times, but it should not be painful. If you feel pain, you can let the team know and they will help make you more comfortable.

We may offer you options to help you relax, such as pain relief, gas and air, or sedation.

Sedation is medicine given through a small tube in your arm to help you feel calm and relaxed.

After the test, you will move to a recovery area where nurses will look after you until you are ready to go home.

You may feel a little bloated or have mild stomach cramps for a short time after the procedure. This usually settles within a few hours.

If you had sedation, you might feel drowsy. Because of this, you will need someone to take you home and stay with you for a while. For the next 24 hours, you should not drive, drink alcohol, or operate machinery.

Some people notice a small amount of blood in their poo for a couple of days after the test. This can be normal.

Colonoscopy is generally a very safe test and serious complications are rare. However, you should contact your GP, NHS 111, or the hospital if you have:

heavy bleeding
bad stomach pain
a high temperature.

Sometimes small growths called polyps can form in the lining of the bowel. Most polyps are harmless, but some types can slowly turn into bowel cancer over time.

Bowel cancer can also happen without causing symptoms at first.

During a colonoscopy, doctors can often remove polyps straight away. They may also take a small sample of tissue called a biopsy, which is then sent to a laboratory to be looked at more closely.

You will not feel this happening because there are no nerves inside the bowel.

Removing polyps can reduce your risk of developing bowel cancer in the future.

Finding problems early also means treatment is more likely to work.

You may get your results on the same day, or it may take a few weeks. Your GP will also get a copy.

There are 4 possible outcomes: