Colorectal Cancer Screening

Background

According to Hong Kong Department of Health, Colon Cancer ranked as Top 2 common Cancer. The Government announced Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Programme recently, and discovered that around 14% participants’ result show positive, follow up consultant and further treatment is required^1.

What symptoms should I pay attention to?
If the following symptoms were found², you should perform the test as soon as possible:
1『Continuous change of defecation habits，including diarrhea and constipation』
2『Still feel not finish after defecation』
3『Blood was seen in stool – red or deep brown』
4『Colic and Bowel pain』
5『Mucus stool』

Bowel Cancer Screening²

Entry Risk Level: Aged 50-70.
High Risk Level: People with Lynch Syndrome mutations, family history with polyposis colorectal adenoma disease, or one family member who is diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age 60 or older.

Normal Colon Cancer Screening including Faecal Occult Blood Test or colonoscopy. However, colonoscopy is an invasive test and expensive, therefore, Faecal Occult Blood Test would be the preliminary screening.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Programme’s Faecal Occult Blood Test(I-FOBT)
(New method to detect stool occult blood), detectinvisible micro-blood in stool (Human’s haemoglobin)

The advantage of I-FOBT
–    Helps to alert occult blood in stool earlier.
–    No need food control before the test.
–    Not invasive test, allow collect stool specimens at home.
–    Simple collection method, safe and convenience, stool specimen no need to put intofridge.
–    Auto-computerize analysis process.
–    High accuracy
–    Relatively low price

Department of Health – Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Programme

At beginning of 2017, Department of Health announce the analysis of second stage of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Programme, which is focus aged 61-70 to perform colon cancer screening.
If the result is positive, should consider following up with your doctor and a colonoscopy test.

For more details about Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Programme, please visit www.ColonScreen.gov.hk or contact Department of Health 24 hours Health Education Hotline 2833 0111.

Collect 2 separate date specimen is better than 1 – according to the recommendation of World Health Organization (WHO), collect 2 separate day specimen in a week at home is more accuracy.

What is the function of Cancer Marker CEA screening?
CEA major rule in clinic practice:
1.    Assess the effectiveness of surgery or other treatment, such as the condition is stable or may relapse.
2.    Assess the possibility of cancer metastasis.
It should be conservative while using CEA as a screening purposes. Because a single increase in CEA does not necessarily represent the occurrence of cancer, several continuous raised are more clinical significance. Similarly, normal CEA result cannot completely rule out the possibility of cancer.

(Hong Kong Department of Health colorectal cancer screening selected test technology)

#Please use occult blood sample tube provided by V-Care.

Please collect 2 stool samples on different day within one week. Hand on 2 stool samples to service center on same day.

Sources:

¹The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. 2017. DH to extendColorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Programme starting Monday (with photo).[ONLINE]Available at:http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201702/21/P2017022100568.htm?fontSize=1.[Accessed 24 February 2017].

²Centre for Health Protection (CPH), 2016, NCD Watch September 2016 – About ColorectalCancer and Screening. CPH