New test for patients with bowel symptoms

Saturday 17 November 2018

This autumn has seen the introduction of a new way of detecting early signs of pre-cancerous growths or bowel cancers for symptomatic patients in Guernsey.

The faecal immunochemical test (FIT) has been made available thanks to the support of people donating money to Bowel Cancer Guernsey, which raised £20,000 to purchase the machine required for the tests.

Blood in your stool, even amounts not clearly visible, can be a sign of changes in the bowel. FIT is a type of test which detects how much blood there is present, and tests in a non-invasive way.

Anne Brouard, Chairperson of Bowel Cancer Guernsey, said "We are very excited to be able to help bring this new form of testing to the island.

"We know that people can be embarrassed to talk about bowel health, but they really shouldn’t be. We hope that now this simpler form of testing is available for symptomatic patients, it will encourage them to talk to their GP sooner.

"We are continuing to work with HSC in the development of a revitalised bowel cancer screening programme where FIT will become the main test for bowel cancer screening in Guernsey. Because people will be able to collect their sample in the privacy of their own home we hope this will encourage people to take part but in the meantime, we cannot stress enough how important it is that people attend their GP if they have concerns."

Patients who go to their GP with potential symptoms of bowel cancer are now given a FIT kit to collect a sample, which is then sent to the PEH for analysis. If the test shows an abnormal result, it is an indication that the patient may require further testing, probably a colonoscopy.

Thanks to the support of Bowel Cancer Guernsey and the implementation of updated GP guidance from HSC, FIT has now become the first line test for many patients showing signs of potential bowel cancer.

Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Guernsey, affecting both men and women. The disease can usually be treated successfully when it is detected early, so it is crucial that people provide a specimen promptly, when invited.

Martin Peacock, Clinical Support Services Manager at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, concluded: "We are very grateful to Bowel Cancer Guernsey for their generous donation, without which bringing this new form of testing would not have been possible.

"Advancements in medicine happen rapidly, and we want to keep up with the times, and being able to offer FIT to symptomatic patients allows us to do this.

"We plan to offer this as the main form of bowel screening in the island in the near future."