Isle of Man bowel cancer home screening kits to be simplified

Introducing the new kits brings the island into line with NHS Trusts in the UK

The process of screening for bowel cancer via home testing kits is to be simplified, Manx Care has said.

The organisation is switching to Faecal Immunochemical Tests (FIT), which require fewer samples and "provide more reliable detection", a spokesman said.

The move brings the island in line with NHS Trusts in the UK.

Manx Care CEO Teresa Cope said screening was of "vital importance" as the disease was "very treatable if detected early".

First introduced on the island in 2011, the testing kits are sent to those aged between 60 and 74 each year, with samples returned by post.

Unlike the previously used Guaiac Faecal Occult Blood (GFOB) tests, the FIT kits require only one sample as they are sensitive to a much smaller amount of blood.

The new testing kits will be rolled out from Monday, and anyone who has already been sent one of the GFOB tests must return the samples by 25 February, a Manx Care spokesman said.

Ms Cope said: "I would urge people who receive a kit in the post to return their sample quickly.

"Similarly, I would encourage anyone who's concerned about their bowel movements and who feels something may not be quite right to seek medical advice as soon as possible, and without embarrassment."