Bowel Cancer Screening
Bowel Cancer Screening to detect blood in the stool, which may indicate the presence of cancerous or precancerous growths in the bowel.
We do a:
Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)
Collection Methods
Stool Sample
What to know
What to know
When to collect your sample
Before you collect your sample:
Do not collect your sample during your menstrual period.
There is a possibility that this testing may not identify blood in the stool of someone who has cancer. This is called a false negative. It is very important to talk to your doctor if you have any symptoms, even if your test results are normal.
When to collect your sample:
The sample must be collected on a Monday - Thursday and returned immediately using the carrier method provided within the sample collection kit*. Each of our sample collection kits includes a prepaid delivery envelope to return your samples to the laboratory.
Symptoms
Bowel cancer will often present no symptoms. If they do occur, they may include:
Blood in your stool
A change in bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation or loose stools)
Rectal bleeding
Unexplained pain in the abdomen
Weakness and fatigue
If you have already noted blood in the stool, or any other symptoms listed, you should talk to your doctor.
What's measured
Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)
The Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is a type of screening for bowel cancer. It checks for hidden blood in the stool which may indicate the presence of bowel cancer, or other benign conditions of the digestive tract (eg. haemorrhoids). This test result will not determine if you have bowel cancer, it indicates that you require further assessment by your doctor and you may require further testing in the form of a colonoscopy.
Who should be tested
The purpose of this screening is to identify the presence of blood in the stool, which may be invisible to the naked eye. If you have already noted blood in the stool, or any other symptoms listed previously, you should talk to your doctor. It is recommended that you start regular screening at the age of 45, or younger if you have a family history of bowel cancer.
You can also consider getting tested if:
You are experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms
You have a history of adenomas (benign tumors)
You have inflammatory bowel infection* (which includes Crohn's infection and ulcerative colitis)
You have an inherited syndrome (e.g. Lynch syndrome/HNPCC or FAP)
You have type 2 diabetes
You have undergone radiation therapy
*Those with inflammatory bowel infections (IBD) are at an increased risk of developing bowel cancer. If you have IBD your result may also be positive due to bleeding and inflammation in your bowel.
How it works
Collect your sample
Activate your home collection kit and collect your sample in the morning. Return your sample on the same day, using the prepaid shipping label provided.
Review accurate results
Once your sample arrives in the laboratory, confidential results will be available from your secure online account within 2 to 5 days.
Get medical support
Our dedicated clinical team is here to support you and may call you to explain your results and provide guidance on your next steps.
Still have questions?
Here are some questions we usually get about LetsGetChecked. If you would like yours answered, please contact us.
It is recommended to get screened from the age of 45, or younger if you have a family history of bowel cancer.
For this test, a small stool sample is required. This is a non-invasive sample collection that can be done from home.
Activating the kit connects you to the unique alphanumeric barcode within your LetsGetChecked sample collection kit box. The laboratory cannot process your sample if the kit is not activated and linked to you. You should only activate your kit when you are ready to take your sample.
Yes. LetsGetChecked has a team of doctors, nurses, and healthcare clinicians who will review your order and results and have created detailed result breakdowns for your testing journey.
Our clinical team is on standby throughout the testing process and, if your test results are abnormal, you may receive a call to discuss your results and the next steps.
Please ensure that the sample is collected on a Monday - Thursday and returned immediately using the carrier method provided within the sample collection kit*. Each of our kits includes a prepaid delivery envelope to return your samples to the laboratory.
Please do not collect or return samples on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
Keeping your personal data secure is important to us. We use appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure security and confidentiality of your information, and only share your information where required to deliver our products and services or where we have a legal basis to do so. All samples are disposed of following analysis.
Your samples are analysed with CE-marked tests in the same labs used by primary care providers, hospitals, and government programs.
LetsGetChecked laboratories are CPA-approved and ISO certified, which are the highest levels of accreditation.
Our home sample collection kits are manufactured within our ISO 13485 certified facility, the highest level of accreditation for medical devices.
We don't accept insurance at this time. We work to keep our tests as affordable as possible and our test costs are generally lower than the costs incurred from a trip to a healthcare provider.
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