The NHS is rolling out a new bowel cancer home testing kit that may be given to patients visiting their GP with stomach and bowel issues.
Starting this month, patients who visit their GP with symptoms, including stomach complaints, pain, discomfort or changes in bowel habits, may be offered the non-invasive test to complete at home.
The home testing kits for bowel cancer will be available in Walsall and across the Black Country and West Midlands.
From the press release:
“The FIT test is similar to the bowel screening programme and involves collecting a small poo sample which the person’s GP will send to the labs for testing by Black Country Pathology Service. Patients will be invited to take the test by their GP, and a kit will be supplied so the test can be done at home. The test can pick up tiny amounts of blood in poo and a positive FIT test will show that bleeding has occurred somewhere in the bowel. This can be an early sign of bowel cancer, as well as other problems such as stomach ulcers and inflammation in the bowel.
The results of the FIT test will make sure that people who are at high risk of bowel cancer are seen quickly, and that patients with normal test results avoid unnecessary hospital investigations and appointments.”
Bowel Cancer Signs
Signs to look out for include, but aren’t limited to:
- 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
Always contact your GP if you have any concerns