Bowel Screening

[Connemmara]

Here in NI and I don't know if it is happening in England - but we are getting advertisements regarding the above for people age 60 and onwards. Some friends of my friends have got them - for info - you send in a sample they send you back word.

Now I haven't received one and I am tortured with Diverticulitis and my dad died from bowel cancer as my wee down's syndrome cousin with the same thing. Will I wait longer to hear from them

[sandyRoe]

Less than a fortnight, as I remember.

[yogasun]

Have had 2 done now, about 10 days (as sandy said)

[LazyGun]

@Connemara NHS has now fully rolled out its bowel screening programme for the over 60s.

I should give the NI screening service a call, to see what can be done were I you, assuming you fall within the age range - otherwise, see your GP...

http://www.cancerscreening.hscni.net/2008.htm

[Connemmara]

I really don't understand your replies - do you think I should have received the letter by now - if not - will pass this on to my doctors - should you think

[Tilly2]

Do you mean you haven't yet received your screening equipment or have you sent off your sample and are waiting for the results?

[sandyRoe]

The letter I got, within two 2 weeks, told me no further action was needed.

[Connemmara]

After looked at the link - maybe this is a different thing - I did get a bowel thingmaj (god can't remember the name) about 4 years ago - and all was clear altho diagnosed with diverticulitis but this thing is you get a letter and have to send a sample of your stool back to whatever place - 2 of my friends have already send their sample and they were clear.

[Connemmara]

tilly 2 - you are right - didn't receive the screening equipment blah blah - definitely not - I probably have been overlooked -

[Tilly2]

It will arrive soon enough.
If you are concerned, ring your doctors surgery and ask them to give you the details of the screening service in your area.

[Connemmara]

Well guys - giving you a wee update - and googled the number for ni screening -the girl asked me my MONTH I was born in and said I would receive mine at end of December possible going into January - that has allayed my fears at least cos I was really going to do nothing about it. So thanks guys for interest.

[boxtops]

Glad you know now. It's not a very pretty thing to have to do, and mail back, but it's so well worth it..

[Connemmara]

Must be terrible for the receivers - yuk

[pdq1]

There are a lot of false negatives especially if the sample is given by someone who suffers from hemorrhoids.

[LazyGun]

How will haemorrhoids create a false negative in a fecal occult blood test?

[pdq1]

false positive

[woofgang]

I have a friend who gets idiopathic nosebleeds and has done all her life. She swallows some of the blood each time and has also had a false positive on this test.

[pdq1]

From a medical website:

///I suffer from haemorrhoids (piles). Will this interfere with the screening test?
If you have haemorrhoids (piles) at the moment then there's more chance that you will get an abnormal result. An abnormal result may be due to blood from your haemorrhoids or from another bowel condition. Anyone with an abnormal result is offered colonoscopy in order get a diagnosis.///

[LazyGun]

Yep - False positive :)

Thats a fundamentally different thing from a false negative....