Changes to home screening tests for Bowel Cancer

Tue, 08 Feb 2022

The process of Bowel Cancer screening using a home testing kit is changing.

From next week, Manx Care’s screening programme will use a different type of test which will simplify the process, require fewer samples to be provided and provide more reliable detection.

Until now, gFOBt tests (guaiac faecal occult blood tests) have been used, but this will change to FIT tests (faecal immunochemical tests) from Monday. For people who’ve been sent a screening kit in the post, in reality this will mean it should be simpler for them to provide a sample and return this for screening because the new FIT tests require just one sample, instead of multiple samples. They are sensitive to a much smaller amount of blood, meaning they can detect signs of cancer more reliably and at an earlier stage, as well as being able to detect pre-cancerous lesions. The new FIT test kits can also be measured more reliably by a machine than by the human eye.

The new FIT tests are already being used across many UK NHS Trusts. Bowel screening is offered to all individuals in the UK and the Isle of Man aged between 60 and 74 years old. However, anyone who has a concern about changes in their bowel movements or stools should contact their GP in the first instance to seek medical advice and reassurance, whether they fit into this age bracket or not. 

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