There are usually three routes to a bowel cancer diagnosis:
- Visit GP with symptoms
- Participation in the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme
- Bowel cancer identified whilst other conditions are being investigated.
When someone goes to the doctor with symptoms the GP has a set of guidelines to follow. This includes consideration of the symptoms. Increasingly they are encouraged to give the patient a FIT test
Faecal Immunochemical Testing (known as the FIT test)
- This is a test that can identify hidden blood in the stool.
- This test is done at home. A small wand is scraped over the surface of the stool. The sample sent to a laboratory analysed for chemical traces of blood. Blood can be an indicator of bowel cancer.
- On the basis of the results the patient may be referred on the Urgent Cancer Pathway for further diagnostic test in the hospital.
- In some cases patients at low risk and with small amounts of blood are not referred, but considered for other treatment.
Guidelines for use of FIT test (Download PDF)
Urgent Cancer Pathway
Blood in the stool can be due to several things, but because one of these is cancer they need to investigate quickly. The earlier a diagnosis, the better the treatment outcomes.
On instigating the Cancer Pathway the patient will normally be seen within two weeks. Several tests will be scheduled:
- Colonoscopy or CT (Virtual Colonoscopy). In some places a Capsule Camera may be used.
- CT scan and sometimes an MRI scan
- Blood tests
The results of these will go to the Gastro-Intestinal MDT (Multi-Disciplinary Team) meeting for the combined experience of the consultants to work out what they think is causing the symptoms and the best course of action.
The patient will normally be informed quickly of the results.