Bowel Cancer Screening

[rov1200]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11461495

The government is proposing to spend £60m to test for bowel cancer. This involves inserting a camera into the lower bowel from the rectum using sigmoidoscopy. In this modern age of technological revolution does using invasive techniques offer the best method to provide the solution? It is not exactly pain free!

The test only caters for the lower bowel.

There are less invasive techniques that can scan the body in great detail and would cost less to administer. These take pictures of the entire bowel not just the lower end.

[Mamyalynne]

http://en.wikipedia.o...i/Virtual_colonoscopy
.

[jake-the-peg]

I think these are all being approached from the wrong perspective.

There are a number of genetic markers that predispose you to Bowel cancer . The Breast cancer genes also increase your risk.

We need to better concentrate efforts into determining these predispositions and screening peoples genetic make up for them.

Then if we know certain people have a high risk of Bowel or breast cancer or whatever the screening programs can be better focussed.

The other problem with bowel cancer is that people don't go to their doctors early enough because of embaressment - not sure more funds for screening won't help this

[rov1200]

Good point Jake, cancer like many other illnesses run in families. Its the same with heart disease. By screening everyone over 50 in the population will put enormous demands on the already overworked system.

It was worrying in one of the posts above that her husband had all the tests some months previous which proved negative only to find he actually had bowel cancer. My Dad died of bowel cancer and he did not take any of these warning tests. He just had a constant paid in the gut that did not go away. A colleague at work also had the same symptom with a paid in the lower gut and they caught it too late. After the operation he thought he was clear but it returned some 6 months later and he died.

The moral is if you have not had the tests to be aware that a pain in the gut may prove your worst fears.

[youngmafbog]

Rectal probing ? Sounds like the Aliens have landed.

[KARL]

Regarding Sqad's comment, the American scenario is rather sad - quite a few of them are foaming at the mouth because healthcare will be made available to millions who at present have no recourse. The fellow who started a charity whereby his team of medics used to fly into central and southern America to dispense free medical care has switched to a much more needy country - the USA, the others are now out of his loop. As before, US citizens can still take out private medical insurance if they so choose and can afford it (which then when it comes to the crunch fights tooth and nail to deny care on some technicality). Similarly, I can have my cholesterol checked privately and I am certainly not at death's door or anywhere near it. I remain a strong supporter of the European way as opposed to the American way, and not just in the matter of healthcare. Changed times here call for changed tactics.

[craft_Tel]

I'm joining this question somewhat late. Firstly; I took the usual bi-annual poo test, which was clear in 2014 and 2016, but which went from 'unclear' on the first 2018 test, to 'abnormal' on the second. I was therefore called in for a colonoscopy, and within an hour of this procedure, before being released to go home, I was told I had bowel cancer - that was June this year). I found the colonoscopy very painful, although I could have taken the option to have sedation, but chose not to because I have no-one to look after me for 12 hours after the procedure. Before I was due to have surgery, I had a CT scan to see if the cancer had spread (it hadn't), then a flexible sigmoidoscopy (by the surgeon who would operate on me), then an MRI scan to check the exact position of the tumour, then went in for surgery less than 5 weeks after diagnosis. The surgery was laparoscopic (keyhole but still considered a major surgery), and I was told I may have to have chemo if they didn't get it all. I was lucky - they did get it all, and there was no sign of it having spread, so I will be monitored for the next 5 years. Apart from regular blood tests, I should have another colonoscopy a year after the op - not looking forward to that, but bearing in mind I had no symptoms whatsoever before the NHS screening result, I consider myself very lucky, and I'm shocked when people tell me they have not done the poo test because they find it embarassing! On recovery - I was in hospital for 6 days, couldn't drive or lift anything heavy when I was released, but felt well enough to drive after 2 weeks, and even got back to playing golf after 5 weeks. Still have the odd twinge, and I was told it may take up to 12 months for my bowels to get back to 'normality', but I shudder when I think what may have happened if I had not been diagnosed and operated on.