Very good news regarding Cancer treatment today
- Thread starter Mr. Cricket
- Start date
Rich
Administrator
Not funny.
Vetman
CCCUK Member
Sorry Rich, I had not read the whole string.
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
Your borrowed joke was of the procedure that we men don't like to go through not Rich's situation. To get more men to get tested sometimes it's ok to make light of it and talk about it. Rich, you know we're all routing for you
CaptainK
CCCUK Member
Ah cancer. Yes, a nasty one. I see above people have been saying to get checked etc - and I agree. You see, I work for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. The programme sends out kits to anyone over the age of 56 currently (was 60 until recently), every two years. This will eventually roll out down to 50 year old people getting a kit every two years. You do the kits at home and send them back to be diagnosed. Unfortunately a lot of people refuse to do the kits at home, and thus go undiagnosed. If you do unfortunately go diagnosed, you get invited in for an endoscopy to look for any cancerous polyps, and have them removed from there. Incidentally, I've had the scope down my throat after possible throat cancer scare (it wasn't), and had biopsies taken to check. It's not the funnest thing to do, but its good to get checked - and yes, as I work for Bowel Cancer which is in the same section in the hospital, I did jokingly ask them if they cleaned the endoscope before shoving it down my throat.
Please, PLEASE if you receive one of these kits from the NHS can I urge you to do the kit - they are much simpler nowadays after the change to the FIT kit (few years ago) where you just need ONE sample now and its much easier to do. Bowel Cancer is a big killer too, but awareness of it isn't that great.
Please, PLEASE if you receive one of these kits from the NHS can I urge you to do the kit - they are much simpler nowadays after the change to the FIT kit (few years ago) where you just need ONE sample now and its much easier to do. Bowel Cancer is a big killer too, but awareness of it isn't that great.
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
A good point but would a colonoscopy be a shorter route to the bowel? I've had up and down and found the down / endoscopy more uncomfortable especially the second time when I was more tense as I knew what was coming...
CaptainK
CCCUK Member
Ah sorry, it's all the same thing to you and me, its just that I was using its "proper" technical name of Endoscopy.
"Colonoscopy" in the trade is a procedure when the Endoscope only goes up a certain point and looks at the specific part called your colon. So we use the term Endoscopy which covers all of the areas accessible via your "back passage" (there are a lot of areas assessed, I can't remember them off hand as I'm not a medical professional). But yes, what is known in laymans terms as a "Colonscopy" (and I guess is what it's called in the news etc) is the procedure that is used for looking at your bowels, anus, colon, etc etc by a camera on a thick wire inserted via your "back passage".
A little confusing I know, sorry about that, as an Endoscopy is also a procedure that is done via the mouth as well (which is what I had going down through my tummy and out into the part just past my tummy). But for the "via the mouth" I guess it has a technical name like an "oesophagus endoscopy" or "gastro endoscopy" or whatever.
As for the "up" and "down", I've not had the "up" procedure yet, so I don't know what it's like personally. I have had the "down" (via mouth) twice, and un-like you I found the second time much easier - I remembered what went well and badly from the first time so I knew what to do to make it easier the second time. I found biting the mouth piece HARD forced myself to breathe through my nose, whereas if I didn't then occasionally I'd accidentally breathe through my mouth and that ended up badly.
Anyway - enough of my waffling. If you get a Bowel Cancer home kit sent to you - PLEASE do it
Last edited:
Roscobbc
Moderator
Yep, do that when the 'kit' comes through the post - simple enough to do!
CaptainK
CCCUK Member
Good man. I try to spread the word around to people when cancer gets discussed. I'm still baffled by why people wouldn't want to try and help save their lives. But the statistics show that still a lot of people just don't bother.
plastic orange
CCCUK Member
In Scotland, the screening is for 50 and over and has been for years. I was lucky in 2010 that i was referred for a colonoscopy after the test and they discovered a cancerous polyp and a sessile polyp in my bowel. Incidentally, my doctor was Professor Bob Steele who introduced the bowel screening programme. The polyp was removed and i elected for 6 monthly colonoscopies to check for any issues, then quite a few years later, I had the sessile one removed as it was discovered these could change to cancerous, and they had developed procedures to remove these safely. I'm now on 5 yearly checks. I'm glad however that I had treatment options, with one being to remove 1/2 my colon, but my cousin's husband was a bowel specialist and he talked me through to help me come to a decision.
I'd a great advocate as you can imagine for the screening programme.
Most folk don't like the embarassment of the procedure, but i had to suck that up as at the time I was the lecturer on Fire Safety in the Hospital and everyone knew who I was lol
Pete
Roscobbc
Moderator
Thanks for sharing! - none of of us should concerned about embarassment - live for life, that's the only important thing!
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
I was always nervous but that all changed when I had a colonoscopy and followed the instruction to lie on my side and bring my knees up to my chest just as a group of student doctors entered the room. You don't mind do you Mr. Curtis?
They've seen it all before, just switch off and get it over with
I did the poo test 3 years ago and knew they would ask to see me as I had had the odd blood trace. I went in for a colonoscopy and they found 3 polyps, one of which was about 35mm which I was told was very close to a hospital record! (QA in Portsmouth). Anyway they removed them and I was called back just before xmas for my 3 year check up and got the all clear. I must admit I found the whole thing ok, only real bit of discomfort was when they blow some air in to inflate the bowel, laid on my side watching the procedure on the screen was quite strange. I'm now back on the 2 year screening programme. As an aside do they use the same camera for the up and down screeningsAh sorry, it's all the same thing to you and me, its just that I was using its "proper" technical name of Endoscopy.
"Colonoscopy" in the trade is a procedure when the Endoscope only goes up a certain point and looks at the specific part called your colon. So we use the term Endoscopy which covers all of the areas accessible via your "back passage" (there are a lot of areas assessed, I can't remember them off hand as I'm not a medical professional). But yes, what is known in laymans terms as a "Colonscopy" (and I guess is what it's called in the news etc) is the procedure that is used for looking at your bowels, anus, colon, etc etc by a camera on a thick wire inserted via your "back passage".
A little confusing I know, sorry about that, as an Endoscopy is also a procedure that is done via the mouth as well (which is what I had going down through my tummy and out into the part just past my tummy). But for the "via the mouth" I guess it has a technical name like an "oesophagus endoscopy" or "gastro endoscopy" or whatever.
As for the "up" and "down", I've not had the "up" procedure yet, so I don't know what it's like personally. I have had the "down" (via mouth) twice, and un-like you I found the second time much easier - I remembered what went well and badly from the first time so I knew what to do to make it easier the second time. I found biting the mouth piece HARD forced myself to breathe through my nose, whereas if I didn't then occasionally I'd accidentally breathe through my mouth and that ended up badly.
Anyway - enough of my waffling. If you get a Bowel Cancer home kit sent to you - PLEASE do it
. I also have an enlarged prostate, daily tablet helps but can be a nuisance at times.Rich, sorry to hear that news, best of luck!
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
I did the poo test 3 years ago and knew they would ask to see me as I had had the odd blood trace. I went in for a colonoscopy and they found 3 polyps, one of which was about 35mm which I was told was very close to a hospital record! (QA in Portsmouth). Anyway they removed them and I was called back just before xmas for my 3 year check up and got the all clear. I must admit I found the whole thing ok, only real bit of discomfort was when they blow some air in to inflate the bowel, laid on my side watching the procedure on the screen was quite strange. I'm now back on the 2 year screening programme. As an aside do they use the same camera for the up and down screenings
Rich, sorry to hear that news, best of luck!
At the time the thing I found most uncomfortable was the pre-op prep to clear you out. I swear the makers of the flushing formula were beside themselves with laughter when they named their product:
Oral sodium phosphate (Fleet) is a superior colonoscopy preparation to Picopre (sodium picosulfate-based preparation)
The instructions suggest you should remain close to a toilet once consumed and they aren't kidding. Even when your completely flushed out the feeling of still wanting to 'give' when there's now't left to offer. I likened it to a large dog furiously barking but with no noiseplastic orange
CCCUK Member
Because I had probably 15+ colonoscopies, i felt instantly sick when even smelling the stuff latterly. I found Fleet to be the easiest to take, but still unpleasant. On the subject of the process, no 2 colonoscopies felt the same. Some had little of the feeling of being inflated like a balloon, whilst some did. One time I was in and out within about 90 minutes and when discussing our new kitchen on a phone call, I suddenly realised why the recommendation not to drive, operate machinery etc after sedation was made as I was talking absolute s***e lol.
Pete
Pete
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
Yes sgree, the first one I received I procrastinated as I always found something better to do, on receiving a reminder from the surgery , I did the test , takes 2mins, all was fine and so was the one two years later. An old school friend did the test , had no symptoms and was found to have cancer of the bowel, undergoing treatment now and hoping for a good response. So Yes, take a test if offered and dont think no symptoms no problem, everyone says the same , the earlier these things are spotted the better the outcome.. good work whoever raised discussion on something we don't like to talk about. 
Roscobbc
Moderator
Some of the earlier bowel screening programs seemed to far less accurate than the current ones (or the test lab cocked up the process?). Recall sending off an earlier sample only to get a letter back telling me that my results were inconclusive and that I needed to submit another sample.......... now guarrantees to get you severely worried for a week or two until the subsequent (and all clear) reply drops on the doormatYes sgree, the first one I received I procrastinated as I always found something better to do, on receiving a reminder from the surgery , I did the test , takes 2mins, all was fine and so was the one two years later. An old school friend did the test , had no symptoms and was found to have cancer of the bowel, undergoing treatment now and hoping for a good response. So Yes, take a test if offered and dont think no symptoms no problem, everyone says the same , the earlier these things are spotted the better the outcome.. good work whoever raised discussion on something we don't like to talk about.
CaptainK
CCCUK Member
Was that the old "3 samples on a bit of cardboard" style kit that used to be sent out? If so, yes, that was a very inaccurate test and was effectively just looking for blood particle in your poo. I didn't work for the Bowel Cancer Programme when it started with that kit, but I'm told it was a cheap "value for money" way of finding out if you might have cancer. I've heard some horror stories of them in the labs that I best not repeat.
The new kit works differently and is much more accurate. It also costs a lot more to the NHS to supply the new kits - hence I'm keen for people to use them. However, they allow cancer to be caught earlier as they are easier to use and get better uptake of use. Thus the cancer is treated earlier, which helps saves lives and also saves the NHS a bit of money from not having to treat too many "left for too long" cancers.