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You can choose if you take part in bowel cancer screening. This leaflet aims to help you decide.

Why the NHS offers bowel cancer screening

We offer screening to try and find signs of bowel cancer at an early stage when there are no symptoms. This is when treatment can be more effective.听听

Sometimes cells in the bowel grow too quickly and form a clump known as a bowel polyp. Polyps are not cancers but can develop into cancers over time. Finding polyps means they can be removed.听听

Regular screening reduces your risk of getting and dying from bowel cancer.

Who we invite for bowel cancer screening

We invite people aged 54 to 74 years for bowel cancer screening every 2 years. We send a bowel cancer screening home test kit. The programme is gradually expanding to make it available to eligible people aged 50 and over.听

You must be registered with a GP and live in England to be invited. Your GP surgery gives us your contact information. Please make sure they have the correct details, including your:听

• 苍补尘别听听
• date of birth听
• 补诲诲谤别蝉蝉听
• phone number听
• email address.听

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 our free helpline on 0800 707 60 60.

Bowel cancer

The bowel is part of your digestive system. It takes nutrients and water from food and turns what鈥檚 left into poo. As illustrated below, the colon and rectum make up the large bowel.听

Bowel cancer is cancer that鈥檚 found anywhere in the large bowel. This includes the colon and rectum.

The colon and rectum make up the large bowel and are part of the digestive system.

How bowel cancer screening works

Your invitation will give you information about bowel cancer screening.听听

We鈥檒l 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.听

If we find blood in your poo sample, you may need further tests to help us find what is causing the blood. We鈥檒l offer you an appointment to talk about having a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy looks at the inside of your bowel.

For most people, no further tests are needed. We offer people who do need further tests an appointment to discuss colonoscopy.

Using the home test kit

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.听听

Once we鈥檝e checked your sample, we record the result and destroy the test kit and contents.听听

If you have any questions, please call our free 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鈥檝e had surgery
• have a stoma bag (colostomy or ileostomy) and need advice.

It鈥檚 best to collect your sample when you鈥檙e not having a period. Avoid the 2 days before or after you bleed.

Bowel cancer screening results

You should get your results within 2 weeks of sending in your sample. There are 2 possible results:听听

• No further tests needed at this time听
• Further tests needed.

No further tests needed at this time听听

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

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

We鈥檒l offer you bowel cancer screening again in 2 years if you are under the age of 75.听

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听听

Around 2 to 3 in 100 people have this result.听听

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

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.听

A colonoscopy is a test to check inside your bowels. 听Find on NHS.UK.

Possible risks of bowel cancer screening

No screening test is 100% reliable.听听

Bowel cancer screening could miss a polyp or cancer. This could happen if the polyp or cancer was not bleeding when you used the home test kit.听听听

Most people will not need further tests. If you do, there鈥檚 a small risk that having a colonoscopy could damage your bowel, but this is rare. You鈥檒l get more information to help you decide when you have an appointment to discuss a colonoscopy.

Bowel cancer symptoms

Symptoms of bowel cancer may include:听听

• changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you听
• needing to poo more or less often than usual for you听
• blood in your poo, which may look red or black听
• bleeding from your bottom听
• often feeling like you need to poo, even if you鈥檝e just been to the toilet听
• tummy (abdominal) pain听
• a lump in your tummy (abdomen)听
• 产濒辞补迟颈苍驳听
• losing weight without trying听
• feeling very tired, for example because of a lower than normal level of red blood cells (anaemia).听

These symptoms do not necessarily mean that you have bowel cancer. If you have any of these symptoms for 3 weeks or more, please speak with your GP. It鈥檚 important to do this even if you have recently had bowel cancer screening.

Who is more likely to get bowel cancer

You may be more likely to get bowel cancer if:听

• you鈥檙e over 50听
• you smoke听
• you鈥檙e overweight听
• a close relative has had bowel cancer听
• you have , which includes and 听
• you have small growths in your bowel called 听
• you have Lynch Syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis.听

Find on NHS.UK.

More information and support

For advice on bowel cancer screening, you can phone our free helpline on 0800 707 60 60.听 听

If you have hearing or speech difficulties, you can use the Relay UK service to contact us. Dial 18001 then 0800 707 60 60 from your textphone or use the . 听

This information听is available in alternative formats, including easy read and other languages. To request another format, you can phone 0300 311 22 33 or email [email protected]. 听

You can also:听

• find on NHS.UK 听
• read our leaflet on having a colonoscopy, if you need further tests 听
• read information for transgender and non-binary people about NHS screening programmes. 听

We use personal information from your NHS records to invite you for screening at the right time. NHS England also uses your information to ensure you receive high quality care and to improve the screening programmes. Read . 听听

Find out .