Home test for stomach problems now available for Black Country patients
A new non-invasive test for people with stomach and bowel problems can now be given in the Black Country and West Birmingham to help rule out bowel cancer and potentially avoid a trip to hospital.
From this month the test can now be given to people who visit their GP with problems that could indicate the presence of bowel cancer. It is hoped this will mean fewer people will need to undergo an endoscopy procedure in hospital as the simple test can help to rule out the presence of bowel cancer among patients with specific lower abdominal symptoms.
FIT testing (Symptomatic Faecal Immunochemical Testing) is currently available in Dudley but funding from the new Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group (BCWB CCG) has been secured to ensure this can be rolled out for any patients who present with symptoms including stomach complaints, pain, discomfort or changes in bowel habits.
The FIT test is similar to the bowel screening programme and involves collecting a small faeces sample which the person’s GP will send to the labs for testing by Black Country Pathology Service. Patients will be invited to take the test by their GP, and a kit will be supplied so the test can be done at home.
The test can pick up tiny amounts of blood and a positive FIT test will show that bleeding has occurred somewhere in the bowel. This can be an early sign of bowel cancer, as well as other problems such as stomach ulcers and inflammation in the bowel. The results of the FIT test will make sure that people who are at high risk of bowel cancer are seen quickly, and that patients with normal test results avoid unnecessary hospital investigations and appointments.
Dr Masood Ahmed, chief medical officer for BCWB CCG, said: “I’m delighted that we are now able to roll out this test across the whole Black Country and West Birmingham. The discreet nature of this at-home test, which avoids a hospital visit for those who don’t need one, should encourage people to come forward earlier and enable us to either rule out cancer quickly and put their mind to rest or to get treatment started much sooner and improve outcomes.”
April is national Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of bowel cancer screening and of recognising the symptoms and seeking help early. Bowel cancer is highly treatable and nearly everyone who is diagnosed at the earliest stage survives, however this drops significantly as the disease develops.
