BOWEL HEALTH (FOB)

This test looks for blood in your stool (poo). Sometimes the blood is such a small amount, and mixed in with the stool, that you might not be able to see it with the naked eye.

There are many reasons why you might have blood in your stool. One reason is bowel/colon cancer, however this is not the only reason. Other reasons could be haemorrhoids, diverticular disease, inflammation of the bowel, polyps, stomach ulcers and some medications such as warfarin or aspirin.

There are lots of reasons for blood in poo. It could be due to medications such as warfarin or aspirin. There might be some inflammation of the bowel such as after a stomach bug. You might have a stomach ulcer which is causing a bit of bleeding, or there might be some problems around your back passage such as haemorrhoids.

Sometimes the amount of blood is very small or mixed in with the poo. Therefore, you can’t see the blood with the naked eye. The Silex test is 98% accurate for identifying blood in your stool, so even if you can’t see it and you get a positive test, it doesn’t mean the test is incorrect and you should book an appointment with your doctor as a follow up.

You should speak with your GP. There are many causes for a positive test, however your GP will be able to advise further if more tests are needed.

• Change in bowel habits such as passing bowel motions more frequently or having looser and more runny motions
• Visible blood in your stool.
• Stomach pain, discomfort or bloating after eating
• Unexpected weight loss - usually 5-10% of your weight in the past 6 months.

There is a genetic link in bowel cancer. If one of your close family members (mother, father, brother or sister) have had bowel cancer before the age of 50 then it can increase your risk of having bowel cancer. You should let your GP know if this is the case.

• Increasing age - 9/10 bowel cancers occur in those over the age of 50 and 6 out of 10 occur in those over 70.
• Diet - Eating large amounts of red and processed meats can increase your risk of bowel cancer.
• Smoking and alcohol have been shown to increase the risk of bowel cancer.
• Some inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can increase the risk of bowel cancer. (Please note, IBD is different to Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS does not increase your risk of bowel cancer).
• Some other genetic disorders such as Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) or Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) increase the risk of developing bowel cancer.