A DIY testing kit for bowel cancer and other disorders has gone on sale in the High Street. The discreet home test is easier to use than NHS screening kits – and the results are displayed digitally on a screen. A green tick means no further action is needed, while an amber warning light suggests seeking medical advice. Experts say the £34.99 test will encourage middle-aged people to self-check for early indications of bowel problems, including cancer. A DIY testing kit for bowel cancer and other disorders has gone on sale in the High Street . Bowel cancer is the third most common form of the disease in the UK, with the second highest mortality rate. This is mainly because symptoms do not usually appear until the cancer is advanced, when treatments have less successful outcomes. But early detection allows for highly effective medical interventions that can achieve survival rates of up to 90 per cent. Two-yearly checks for bowel cancer on the NHS for people in their 60s and 70s use a faecal occult blood test (FOBT), which looks for traces of blood in stools. Yet a study by Cancer Research UK found many people do not go through with screening. Half of the bowel testing kits sent out by the NHS are not returned for analysis, with one reason being the ‘unpleasant’ procedure and anxious wait for results. The DIY bowel health test, called Measure, uses sophisticated digital technology to check for low-level bleeding invisible to the human eye that may be an early sign of gastrointestinal disease . The DIY bowel health test, called Measure, uses sophisticated digital technology to check for low-level bleeding invisible to the human eye that may be an early sign of gastrointestinal disease, including cancer and stomach ulcers. It has the same threshold for producing a positive result as the NHS test. Screening on the NHS involves a home kit which has to be returned through the post, with results expected within two weeks. It requires users to take samples from three separate bowel motions to make sure the result is accurate. The new digital test also requires three samples – but as each one can be screened instantly they can be disposed of straight afterwards, rather than having to be kept for several days before the kit can be posted. It also features special sealed cartridges to make the whole process more hygienic. Dr Helen Lewis, a trustee of the board at manufacturer MODE Diagnostics Ltd, said many people want to check their bowel health in their 40s and 50s but have to wait until they are 60 for NHS testing. Around one in six bowel cancer cases is diagnosed before the age of 60. Dr Lewis said: ‘It is getting more common at younger ages, and what is also concerning is that older people drop out of NHS screening, possibly because it is an unpleasant method.’ Deborah Gilbert, chief executive of Bowel & Cancer Research, said MODE Diagnostics would be donating a proportion of the sale of each testing kit to the charity. She added that bowel cancer is one of the easiest cancers to treat when caught early. Paul Reynolds, 49, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2008, welcomed the DIY test. He is now free of the disease, but said his GP initially dismissed his symptoms. Mr Reynolds, from Highgate, North London, now a Bowel & Cancer Research trustee, said: ‘A year before I was actually diagnosed, I visited my GP presenting with what I now know are classic symptoms of bowel cancer. He reassured me that it was nothing and sent me home without even examining me. ‘I wish I had had access to an easy-to-use home testing device. ‘It would have saved a lot of worrying and meant an earlier prognosis and less risk.’ The kit is available online at measurebowelhealth.com, on Amazon and in major Boots stores.
DIY testing kit for bowel cancer and other disorders has gone on sale .
Results displayed on a screen with an amber warning light to seek advice .
Experts say it will encourage middle-aged people to self-check for signs .
Bowel cancer is the third most common form of the disease in the UK .
A DIY testing kit for bowel cancer and other disorders has gone on sale in the High Street. The discreet home test is easier to use than NHS screening kits – and the results are displayed digitally on a screen. A green tick means no further action is needed, while an amber warning light suggests seeking medical advice. Experts say the £34.99 test will encourage middle-aged people to self-check for early indications of bowel problems, including cancer. A DIY testing kit for bowel cancer and other disorders has gone on sale in the High Street . Bowel cancer is the third most common form of the disease in the UK, with the second highest mortality rate. This is mainly because symptoms do not usually appear until the cancer is advanced, when treatments have less successful outcomes. But early detection allows for highly effective medical interventions that can achieve survival rates of up to 90 per cent. Two-yearly checks for bowel cancer on the NHS for people in their 60s and 70s use a faecal occult blood test (FOBT), which looks for traces of blood in stools. Yet a study by Cancer Research UK found many people do not go through with screening. Half of the bowel testing kits sent out by the NHS are not returned for analysis, with one reason being the ‘unpleasant’ procedure and anxious wait for results. The DIY bowel health test, called Measure, uses sophisticated digital technology to check for low-level bleeding invisible to the human eye that may be an early sign of gastrointestinal disease . The DIY bowel health test, called Measure, uses sophisticated digital technology to check for low-level bleeding invisible to the human eye that may be an early sign of gastrointestinal disease, including cancer and stomach ulcers. It has the same threshold for producing a positive result as the NHS test. Screening on the NHS involves a home kit which has to be returned through the post, with results expected within two weeks. It requires users to take samples from three separate bowel motions to make sure the result is accurate. The new digital test also requires three samples – but as each one can be screened instantly they can be disposed of straight afterwards, rather than having to be kept for several days before the kit can be posted. It also features special sealed cartridges to make the whole process more hygienic. Dr Helen Lewis, a trustee of the board at manufacturer MODE Diagnostics Ltd, said many people want to check their bowel health in their 40s and 50s but have to wait until they are 60 for NHS testing. Around one in six bowel cancer cases is diagnosed before the age of 60. Dr Lewis said: ‘It is getting more common at younger ages, and what is also concerning is that older people drop out of NHS screening, possibly because it is an unpleasant method.’ Deborah Gilbert, chief executive of Bowel & Cancer Research, said MODE Diagnostics would be donating a proportion of the sale of each testing kit to the charity. She added that bowel cancer is one of the easiest cancers to treat when caught early. Paul Reynolds, 49, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2008, welcomed the DIY test. He is now free of the disease, but said his GP initially dismissed his symptoms. Mr Reynolds, from Highgate, North London, now a Bowel & Cancer Research trustee, said: ‘A year before I was actually diagnosed, I visited my GP presenting with what I now know are classic symptoms of bowel cancer. He reassured me that it was nothing and sent me home without even examining me. ‘I wish I had had access to an easy-to-use home testing device. ‘It would have saved a lot of worrying and meant an earlier prognosis and less risk.’ The kit is available online at measurebowelhealth.com, on Amazon and in major Boots stores.
A DIY testing kit for bowel cancer and other disorders has gone on sale in the High Street. light suggests seeking medical advice. Experts say the £34.99 test will encourage middle-aged people to self-check for early indications of kit for bowel cancer and other disorders has gone on sale in the High Street . Bowel cancer is the third most common form of the disease in the UK,