Bowel Cancer Screening in East Sussex – Dr Phil Mayhead is now a Bowel Cancer Screening Colonoscopist. (June, 2014)
The bowel cancer screening program exists to evaluate men and women between the ages of 60-69 within East Sussex with age extension coming to evaluate patients until they are 75 years old. It has been shown that undertaking population screening in this age group can reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16% (Cochrane Database, 2006). In East Sussex, the Screening Centre is at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings.
About one in 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer during their lifetime. It is the third most common cancer in the UK, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths, with over 16,000 people dying from it each year (Cancer Research UK)
Colonoscopists undertaking screening on the Bowel Cancer Screening program are endoscoping patients who would have otherwise not had the procedure were it not for an invite from the local Screening hub and a subsequent positive stool blood test. Therefore, Screening colonoscopists have to submit data about their routine practice and undertake a multiple choice exam and a practical assessment of their colonoscopy skills at one of several national centres to ensure their skills are as good as possible to minimise rtisk on the Screening program. At present, Dr Phil Mayhead is the only accreditied Screening colonoscopist in Eastbourne.
What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?
The most common symptoms of bowel cancer are:
a persistent change in bowel habit, especially needing to have your bowels open more often or having diarrhoea for several weeks
bleeding from the back passage or blood in the bowel motion
severe abdominal pain
a lump in the abdomen
unexplained tiredness or weight loss
These symptoms do not necessarily indicate bowel cancer, but if one or more persists for four to six weeks then you should discuss this with your GP who may wish to do blood or stool tests or refer you to a Secondary care Doctor for further investigations.
For more information on the bowel cancer screening program please visit: http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/bowel/index.html
To discuss further and to book an appointment please call 01323 886505 or email us.
