THE NATIONAL Health Service in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire is sharing the testimony of a patient in order to encourage at home cancer tests.
Stephen Gates, a 56-year-old business development director from north Buckinghamshire, was diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer after returning a ‘FIT kit’ this summer.
The kit provides a method of testing for bowel cancer which can be conducted at home and sent off for analysis for those in their early 50s.
In line with the NHS expanding its lifesaving bowel screening programme to those aged 50 in England, hundreds of thousands more people are set to receive a test though the post which can help to detect signs of bowel cancer.
Across the South East of England and further afield, people aged 50 and 52 will now start to automatically receive a home test kit every two years by post when they become eligible, marking the final phase of the NHS ambition to offer everyone 50-74 the screening test.
Nationally, around 850,000 additional people in England a year will be eligible for the screening test, with over 4 million more people invited since roll out began in 2021.
The kit, known as the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), checks for blood in a small stool sample, which can be a sign of bowel cancer.
Expansion of the national bowel screening programme to all over 50s is the latest step in the NHS drive to find cancers at an earlier stage when they are easier to treat.
FIT kits are done at home by putting a faecal sample in a small tube and returning it by post to the NHS for testing.
Those newly eligible will receive an invitation letter and will be sent their test with full instructions and prepaid return packaging. This will happen automatically for people in this new age group as this rolls out across the country.
Results are sent back to participants along with information about further tests if needed–Around 2 out of 100 people who use the kit will require further testing.
Through regular screening, the programme aims to diagnose bowel cancers at an earlier stage, increasing the chances of successful treatment and survival.
Early detection of bowel cancer, the third most common type of cancer in England, can significantly improve treatment outcomes.
Mr Gates received a shock diagnosis of bowel cancer after using one of the FIT kits, and is now urging others not to delay in using them.
Mr Gates said: “I’ve always had an active, busy lifestyle, working full time and exercising lots, and I’ve always taken good care of my nutrition – in fact I’m as fit now as I was in my mid-30s. So you can imagine my shock when I completed my first home testing kit, and received a phone call inviting me for a colonoscopy.
“Unfortunately, it revealed that I had a malignant tumour in my bowel. I couldn’t believe it – I had no symptoms.
“At first I was devastated and terrified. The month or so between diagnosis and finding out the results of the scans were really tough.
“I told no one other than my wife, my boss and two friends. I wanted to shield my two daughters and wider family and friends from the news until I had more information about the treatment.
“The scans revealed that I had stage 2 cancer, but luckily it hadn’t spread. I elected to have bowel resection surgery later that summer, but stayed positive given it had been caught early.
“I spent the time preparing for surgery by exercising more, so that I was in the best possible physical and mental shape. I spent less than 72 hours in hospital following a 10-hour operation.”
He explained: “The surgery was a great success and I’m now exercising at my previous levels, and I’ve started boxing.
“I feel incredibly fortunate that my cancer was picked up early through my screening test, which was so simple to complete and send back.
“I understand that some people might be nervous about taking the test, but the chances are you’ll have nothing to worry about and can sleep well knowing this–please take up the offer and complete your bowel screening kit.
“It could save your life.”
Tim Caroe, Medical Director Primary Care Transformation for NHS South East and GP in Eastbourne said: “Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and the expansion of the NHS bowel cancer screening programme to those aged 50 will help to spot signs of bowel cancer sooner, and potentially save thousands of lives.
“If you’re sent a FIT kit, help yourself by remembering to complete it. Put it by the loo. Don’t put it off.
“Screening is designed to find early disease in people with no symptoms. If you have a change in your bowel habit or bleeding from your bottom, these can be signs of serious illness, and we would recommend contacting a healthcare professional for advice.”
The FIT home testing kit is already made available through the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme to everyone aged 54 to 74. People aged 75 and over can request a kit by phoning the NHS bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
