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Bowel Cancer Screening Kit

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Tilly2 | 08:17 Sat 13th Sep 2014 | Body & Soul
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I received my kit this week but haven't yet started to collect my samples.
As it's awkward, pooing onto your hand, would it still be a true sample if you were to take a smear from the toilet paper instead?

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Totally irrelevant, 'Poo on a stick' is what Russian children call a chocolate ice cream lolly (though the Russian word is slightly stronger than 'poo').
Some of the post here made me smile. Too finicky by half some folk.

It occurs to me that you don't have to go on the toilet. If you were 'roughing it' camping you wouldn't. Spread some sheets of paper on the bathroom floor and go on that ?

Or forget about the paper, go on the floor, take what you need, and tell the family not to go in as you'll clean it up when you get back that evening :-)
I used the loo paper method but also got some cheap plastic gloves which I pulled off, turning them inside out at the same time. Wrapped them in some kitchen towel and into the bin.
yeah OK

it is a FOB test ( fecal occult blood ) so it detects digested blood ( ugh )
and toi-toi paper is quite OK.
Tilly, I've done it for several years using the toilet paper mathod. It's a bit gruesome to describe, but you need to be sure that there is substance on the paper, so you can get a good dollop on the the lolly stick (not too much, though, or the little window won't shut, LOL). Just don't include bits of the paper in your sample :-)
There's no dainty or elegant way to do it. I've been doing it now every 2 years for goodness knows how long. It's horrible, embarrassing, and VERY unladylike, BUT, I know it has to be done. Not to worry Tilly, it's all worth it when you get that letter telling you all's ok. !! Good luck xx
I did it using the method you suggest. They found the problem I had, so it does work. I'd go ahead.
I must confess I never entertained this idea of pooing into my hand..... :-(
I am glad that so many of you were reassured with your negative results. I am totally unconvinced of the efficacy of this test and would suggest to members of my family not to bother.
I did my national screening test about 18months to two years ago. It was my first test and came back negative. About 10 weeks ago after constant constipation and stomach aches, which I thought might be IBS, I went to my GP. She gave me the same test over three days which went to the local hospital path Lab. The result was negative. I had never suffered any loss of blood at any time via my bowel/colon. My G.P. organised a Colonoscopy at my local hospital.The result was Positive cancer of the sigmoid colon. My wife is a endoscopy nurse at another hospital and is very informed on procedures and symptoms of this cancer. She was totally stunned that this indeed had been diagnosed and agrees,with me,that the screening test is largely a waste of time. She certainly expected rectal bleeding and there wasn't. I would rely on a colonoscopy result in favour of poohing on a advent calender window. My cancer op is on 29th of this month. Hope I haven't un-reassured the reassured with this sorrowful saga!!
That's a sad tale, retrocop, and certainly reminds us that we shouldn't rely only on our pooing on the windows - if there is any sign of something amiss in between tests, the GP should certainly be made aware a.s.a.p.

However - from the point of view of economics, the windows must be cost-effective, colonoscopies are more costly and the numbers of people falling into the screening programme age bands continue to rise.

It's the same as any screening, IMO - there will always be cases missed, but this does at least get us in the way of having ourselves checked out on a regular basis.
...and PS - all the very best for the 29th.
Sorry to hear that retrocop. But the fact remains that many cancers are found using the occult blood test. Mine was and was operated on successfully. Not all will be and that's unfortunate, but to give the entire population a colonoscopy would not be feasible.

Hope all goes well with you.
I agree with boxy.......FOB for screening is the best "show in town."

Colonoscopys as screening would be impractical.
Exactly the same happened to my husband retrocop.His tests came back clear and three months later he was being operated on for anal cancer.
Sorry to hear your news .Hope it all goes well for you.
Not all colonic cancers bleed.

shaneystar........do you mean anal cancer or rectal cancer?
Well I did say that I thought screening was "largely a waste of time" but didn't mean to imply that some cancers were never found by using this method.
Of course I realise the cost of giving ALL a colonoscopy but I can't help reflect that my first test was ,say. 2 years ago. By the time my next screening test had been sent the damage would of been done and probably secondaries will have occurred. As NICE always tell us the cost of keeping a cancer patient alive I believe the cost of a colonoscopy will give a more accurate result and is money better spent .Sooner it is detected the better chance of survival and less cost in the long term.
Thank you for your kind wishes. Shall miss AB for,hopefully,only 6-10 days.
Why not put a piece of cardboard over the toilet seat.?
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Thanks for all your replies.

Retrocop, I hope it goes well for you. So, we should see you back on AB sometime in the middle of October. Best wishes. x

You don't need the whole poo though, danny, just a bit of it. If you put a chunk of toilet paper in the loo and go on that, you can retrieve enough of the mass with your lolly stick in order to make the sample. You can then flush it. It saves pooing on card or little tubs which then have to be disposed of. That's the way I've always done it - just make sure the poo doesn't touch the side of the pan or go under the water level before you fish out your sample.
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Maybe that's why your drains got blocked, boxy. :-)

I bought some small paper bowls today. I'm going to use those.

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