Figures published by NHS England earlier this month show more people are urgently being referred for key bowel cancer tests that can diagnose the UK’s second biggest cancer killer. This is a good indication that people are speaking to their GP about their bowel health after noticing symptoms or changes.
The figures, for August 2022, display that more than 53,000 people who have suspected bowel cancer symptoms were on the urgent ‘two-week wait’ list for bowel investigations. This figure is 3,000 higher than the previous month and almost 13,000 higher than August 2021.
Of these people, almost 15,000 were waiting for more than the 14-day target, which is approximately 4,000 higher than the previous month and 8,500 higher than August 2021.
The demand for these tests far outweighs the number of appointments available, meaning that if there are more people on the waiting list, then they have to wait for longer. While most of those waiting won’t have bowel cancer, it can be an anxious time so it is important people can be seen quickly to alleviate concerns and if someone does have bowel cancer, early diagnosis is crucial to best possible outcomes.
To help ensure that people with suspected bowel cancer are prioritised for further tests, NHS England wrote to GPs across England last week urging them to ask their patients with potential symptoms of bowel cancer to complete a Quantitative Faecal Immunochemical Test (qFIT) as a way of identifying people that urgently need further tests.
Quantitative Faecal Immunochemical Test
Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive at Bowel Cancer UK said: “My message to those worried that they may have bowel cancer, is to ask your GP for a qFIT test.
“Those considered low risk of bowel cancer, like younger people, often face a delayed diagnosis or see their GP several times before being referred for further tests. And when they are referred, it’s possible that they may wait a long time for a vital colonoscopy, which may increase their anxiety over a possible bowel cancer diagnosis.”
qFIT detects small hidden quantities of blood in a stool sample that could mean a person has bowel cancer. The test itself looks identical to the test that people receive as part of the bowel cancer screening programme.
The NHS England guidance to GPs explained:
- qFIT should be offered to all patients who seek help from their GP for suspected bowel cancer symptoms
- The test will be set at a very sensitive level meaning that it picks up even tiny amounts of blood that may not have been seen by the patient
- Patients who have a positive result from their qFIT should be put onto the urgent referral pathway (the ‘two-week week wait’) for further investigation
- Patients can still be referred for further tests by their GP even if they had a negative qFIT test
Genevieve Edwards added: “We hope this guidance will help GPs to better identify and refer the right patients for further testing quickly and could help detect bowel cancer at an earlier stage when it’s more treatable and curable. Depending on the patient’s result of the qFIT and the doctor’s advice, it may also mean that people aren’t being referred for a colonoscopy unnecessarily.
“However, the biggest barrier to improving waiting times is the long-standing workforce shortage in endoscopy and pathology services. The new Prime Minister must urgently address this in the upcoming 10-year Cancer Plan to meet the ambition to diagnose 75 per cent of cancers early by 2028.”
