A national colorectal cancer screening programme

The Committee has concluded that there is sufficient evidence to justify starting a national bowel cancer screening programme. The most appropriate screening method is an immunochemical Faecal Occult Blood Test (iFOBT). The Committee recommends a programme based on the screening of people between fifty-five and seventy-five years old once every two years. People in the target group would be sent a faecal test sampling kit by the screening organisation. The faecal sample would have to be sent to a laboratory to be tested for invisible traces of blood. Persons with a ‘positive’ (i.e. abnormal) test result would be referred for colonoscopy, which would take place in an outpatient clinic under sedation and with the aid of pain management.