
Looks great but maybe some increased risk for bowel cancer with high intake of charcoaled red meats

The test simply involves dripping the test "stick" in the toilet bowl after passing a bowel motion. Then post back to the screening centre.

Make sure you do the test if the pack arrives in the post. Only 60% complete this easy test!
You should not miss out on the chance to prevent bowel cancer
Prevention of Colon Cancer
Diet
- There is an increased risk of polyps and cancer with
- Higher intake of dairy foods and animal fat intake.
- High intake of red meat. There is a suggestion that the traditional kiwi BBQ may not be the best way of cooking meat as potential cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens) are formed.
- Diets low in fruit & vegetables - therefore fruit and vegetables may have a protective effect.
- Low dietary fibre. This is the most well known dietary factor - but there is only modest evidence for high dietary fibre having a protective effect
- Alcohol intake (heavy) increases the risk as does obesity (BMI >30)
- Regular physical excercise is protective
- If you have had a polyp or colon cancer then these dietary suggestions are sensible. However you cannot prevent more problems by diet alone.
- Regular checks by colonoscopy and removal of polyps as they form is the only definitely effective approach
- More specific dietary advice is not possible with the available evidence.
Medication / supplements
- Supplements such as Vitamin C & E, folate and calcium, vitamin D have been suggested as having a protective effect.
- The evidence is conflicting and not strong enough to make any recommendations for taking regular supplements.
- The data for vitamin C, and E and folate is largely negative - no protective effect.
- Hormone replacement therapy decreases the risk of colon cancer. Unfortunately the increased risk of breast cancer outweighs this effect.
- One of the beneficial effects of low dose aspirin is a reduction in risk of colon cancer.
- There is probably not enough benefit to recommend daily aspirin as a routine treatment but of course it is an additional benefit if aspirin has been already recommended for heart protection.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs also have this effect.
- Both anti-inflammatories and aspirin increase the risk of bleeding from the stomach.
Colonoscopy and removal of polyps
- Removal of polyps at the time of colonoscopy is highly protective against developing bowel cancer.
- The problem is finding out which group of people are the “polyp formers” and therefore the group at risk of developing bowel cancer.
- The acceptance of colonoscopy as a useful examination has increased.
- More people are having an examination – therefore there is more chance of finding those with polyps and removing them – therefore removing the risk.
- If you have had a polyp in the past then there needs to be ongoing checks.
- The interval will vary from 3-5 years depending on the type and number of polyps found at a previous examination.
- If you have a family history of bowel cancer then you should have a colonoscopy to assess your risk of developing bowel cancer.
- This should be performed 10 years younger than the age of the youngest family member affected by bowel cancer. Continued surveillance by colonoscopy every 5 years is recommended.
Population Screening
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- Those at higher risk of developing bowel cancer (mainly those with a family history should be on a regular follow-up programme with frequency determined by the details of the family history and prevbious polyp findings.
- Screening of average risk individuals between the ages of 60 - 74 years has started in NZ and hopefully available to all the population by 2022
- This involves a faecal immunotest (FIT) - then colonoscopy for those with a positive test
- The faeces test kits are posted out according to data for the polling register to those of eligible age. The tests will be performed at home. The test is specific for human blood and does not need any dietary restriction before taking the test. The test is sensitive and only requires dripping the test strip into the toilet bowel not a sample of faeces.
- The current uptake is only 60% - muach more could be achieved with higher compliance
- The sensitivity of the FIT has been set relatively low to reduce demands on the coonoscopy service. This means that about 1/3rd of cancers will be missed
- Colon cancer, if present, does not always bleed all of the time – therefore some cancers are missed.
- However despite these problems a reduction in death rate from colon cancer can be demonstrated using this approach
- If you have a positive test you should proceed to colonoscopy as there is a 1:15 - 1:20 chance that you will have cancer.
Faecal blood tests are always going to be an indirect marker of a problem and the only way to be completely reassured is to have a colonoscopy.
If there are new symptoms (as above) there should be a referral for colonoscopy regardless of a FIT or faecal occult blood test result