New bowel cancer testing kit

A new method to improve detection of bowel cancer and avoid unnecessary medical checks is to be introduced across Lanarkshire.

NHS Lanarkshire are bringing in the new testing kit – quantitative FIT (qFIT) – following a successful pilot in a small number of GP practices.

The test is designed specifically for people who have possible symptoms of bowel cancer, such as bleeding, altered bowel habits or pain in the tummy.

NHS Lanarkshire public health consultant Dr Jennifer Darnborough said:“The new qFIT test has been shown to accurately predict which patients are most and least likely to have anything serious wrong in their bowel by looking for hidden blood in their motions. Patients with lots of hidden blood can be fast-tracked to have a scope and those with little or no blood may be able to avoid a scope altogether.

“GPs now have a supply of the new test kits. If a patient complains of worrying bowel symptoms, they will be given a kit to take home where they can do the test in private and then send it away for processing.

“Their GP will still refer them for a hospital appointment. However, the result of the qFIT test will help doctors at the hospital decide who needs a scope and who doesn’t.

“It’s very important we do everything we can to identify bowel cancer early. It is Scotland’s third most common cancer, but if we find it early enough there’s more than a 90 per cent chance of successful treatment.”