With a recent family history of cancer ( Mother & Sister ) originating in the colon/bowel, I today as part of the National screening programme have had a second Hospital procedure carried out over the last three weeks. The screening is automatically sent out to you once you attain 55 and could save you from future misery. In my family case the screening wasn't applicable or even available as both parties were in their mid/late forties and diagnosis came to late for survival and cancer spread to other major organs.

I my self may have been fortunate and appears that my diagnosis of colon/bowel polyps may have been caught just in time and biopsy's so far show the growths to be benign and now await results of the 2nd biopsy's taken, also I have to repeat the screening in a years time and if clear may be able to go to bi-annual screening. Polyp's are like skin tags that grow on the soft walls of the bowel/colon right up to the appendix area, in time if undetected they can and in cases will develop in to malignant cells and then the cells spread to other organs.

So if you are of the age and invited to be screened the process is worthwhile and in most cases not necessary but can put any concerns to bed.

If you have a near family relative who has been diagnosed then you can jump the screening age of 55 and opt for a referral via your GP, also another factor of polyps or bowel/colon issues is change in toiletry habits (esp blood deposits) that aren't a one off . Blood deposits are or can be from larger formed polyps growths which is advisable to act on.

Edited December 11, 20187 yr by Nealh

On 11/12/2018 at 21:51, Nealh said:

With a recent family history of cancer ( Mother & Sister ) originating in the colon/bowel, I today as part of the National screening programme have had a second Hospital procedure carried out over the last three weeks. The screening is automatically sent out to you once you attain 55 and could save you from future misery. In my family case the screening wasn't applicable or even available as both parties were in their mid/late forties and diagnosis came to late for survival and cancer spread to other major organs.

I my self may have been fortunate and appears that my diagnosis of colon/bowel polyps may have been caught just in time and biopsy's so far show the growths to be benign and now await results of the 2nd biopsy's taken, also I have to repeat the screening in a years time and if clear may be able to go to bi-annual screening. Polyp's are like skin tags that grow on the soft walls of the bowel/colon right up to the appendix area, in time if undetected they can and in cases will develop in to malignant cells and then the cells spread to other organs.

So if you are of the age and invited to be screened the process is worthwhile and in most cases not necessary but can put any concerns to bed.

If you have a near family relative who has been diagnosed then you can jump the screening age of 55 and opt for a referral via your GP, also another factor of polyps or bowel/colon issues is change in toiletry habits (esp blood deposits) that aren't a one off . Blood deposits are or can be from larger formed polyps growths which is advisable to act on.

Very good advice about getting screened. Have a timely check and perhaps a simple polyp removal or wait longer and end up with a bowel resection and a stoma and bag, or much much worse, as happens in so many cases. Those checks were not really encouraged or even available in the past, and there are many sad stories of family bereavement and early deaths, from back then. I think it is true that bowel cancer is the commonest one of all. The causes can involve genetics, but there is a lot of evidence that a diet involving lots of cured meats like bacon, sausages and others are involved in many cases. I like a bit of bacon and sausage, but I mostly avoid them now and save it for the odd full English breakfast in a hotel.

The screening checks come in the post and you send a small stool sample back to them. They check for blood in the sample which should not be there. The screening sample is very easy and hygienic and could not be simpler to do and to return in the post paid envelope.

I am glad Neil's investigation has removed the at risk tissue without a big operation.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by Tony1951