In a new episode of the HSE Talking Health and Wellbeing podcast, host Fergal Fox is joined by Dr Alan Smith, Lead Consultant in Public Health Medicine at the HSE National Screening Service, community pharmacist Genevieve Morrissey and Patient and Public Partner Mary Kennedy to talk about BowelScreen and why taking part matters.
They discuss how bowel screening works, how it can prevent bowel cancer developing as well as finding it early, and the support available through community pharmacies.
Mary shares her personal experience of having bowel cancer found early through screening, despite having no symptoms.
Finding cancer before symptoms appear
BowelScreen is Ireland’s free national bowel screening programme. It’s for everyone aged 57 to 71 who have no symptoms of bowel cancer.
People who take part get a home test kit in the post. The test looks for tiny amounts of blood in a sample of poo, which can be a sign that something needs further investigation.
Dr Smith explains that for every 100 people who complete the home test, around 96 will receive a normal result. Around 4 people will have blood found and will be offered a colonoscopy to take a closer look at the bowel.
An abnormal screening result does not mean that someone has cancer. A colonoscopy can find polyps - small growths in the bowel - that could develop into cancer. Around 3,000 people each year have these growths removed through the BowelScreen programme.
As Dr Smith explains in the podcast: “That’s the real power of the BowelScreen programme. It’s detection and prevention.”
“I had absolutely no symptoms”
For Mary Kennedy, taking part in BowelScreen led to a bowel cancer diagnosis she had not been expecting.
Mary got her invitation around the same time as two of her friends. They encouraged each other to take part and all completed their tests.
Mary’s test found blood in her sample and she was referred for a colonoscopy, where bowel cancer was found.
“I had absolutely no symptoms,” Mary explains. “I was healthy and just enjoying retirement.”
After surgery, Mary got the news that her cancer had not spread and had been found at an early stage. Mary believes doing the home test made the difference: “I believe that by just doing the test, my cancer was caught early.”
Her message to anyone who gets an invitation to take part in BowelScreen: “Just do it. It’s easy. It’s free. The instructions you get with your kit are very straightforward.”
Ask your community pharmacist about BowelScreen
Community pharmacists are helping to start conversations about bowel screening.
Around 1,500 pharmacies are now trained to support the promotion of bowel screening. People can talk to their local community pharmacy team about taking part in BowelScreen.
Genevieve Morrissey explains that pharmacies can provide a familiar and accessible place for these conversations.
Pharmacy teams taking part in the initiative can answer questions, help people to understand the test and to check if they are on the BowelScreen register.
Genevieve says some people may feel anxious about screening simply because they do not fully understand what it involves.
“The fact that you can do it in the privacy of your own home is really good,” she says. “It’s a free test. It’s simple to do.”
Screening is for people without symptoms
Dr Smith talks about an important difference between screening and getting symptoms checked.
BowelScreen is for people who do not have symptoms of bowel cancer.
Dr Smith encourages anyone who notices a change in their bowel movement that is not normal for them, particularly one that persists, not to wait for an invitation to bowel screening. They should talk to their GP.
For people who are eligible for screening, the message from the podcast is to learn about BowelScreen and make an informed choice about taking part. As Mary’s experience shows, you can feel healthy and have no symptoms.
A simple, free test you do at home can help find bowel cancer at an early stage, when treatment can be easier and more successful. It can also find changes in the bowel before they develop into cancer. When you get your invitation to take part, choose screening.
Listen to the podcast
Hear the full conversation about how BowelScreen works, the role community pharmacies are playing and Mary Kennedy’s experience of bowel screening.
Why bowel screening matters - Episode 162, HSE Talking Health & Wellbeing: