How ColorectalScreen Norway works
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Many people think of screening primarily as an examination taking place at your GP’s or in a hospital. In ColorectalScreen Norway, most people will do the screening test at home and won't need to visit the health service in person.
Screening can be described as a search for something undetected. It is a way of identifying apparently healthy people who may have a condition like colorectal cancer, or is at risk of developing it. With screening, we can distinguish between those most likely to be healthy, and those who ought to be examined further.
The method used in Norway is a stool sample that is tested for traces of invisible blood. You collect a stool sample at home with a test kit, and then send it to our laboratory for analysis.
Colonoscopy is adviced for some participants
If the laboratory finds blood in your sample, you will be adviced and invited to have a colonoscopy at the hospital. The call for a colonoscopy does not mean that you have cancer, but that you should be examined further to make sure you do not have an illness.
In a group of 1000 screening participants who submit a stool sample, 65 will have blood detected and be invited to have a colonoscopy. Of these 65 people, only 2 will be diagnosed with cancer. Many people will undergo a colonoscopy without finding anything wrong.
The screening must be repeated every other year
The aim of screening is to detect cancer cases at an early stage. Unfortunately no method detects everything and cancer can be missed in a round of screening. Cancer can also develop at a later time.
Therefore, you will be offered to submit a stool sample every other year from the age of 55 to 65. In total, you will be offered to test a total of five times.
If you are invited to and attend a colonoscopy after sending in a stool sample, the invitations for further screenings will stop. During the colonoscopy, your colon will also be examined for polyps which will be removed to further reduce the risk of cancer for years to come.
Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms
Participating in a screening program provides no guarantee against colorectal cancer in the future. Therefore, you should talk to your doctor if you experience persistent bowel disorders, even if you have recently participated in the screening program.
Examples of such symptoms are:
- blood in the stool
- a change in bowel patterns
- weight loss without knowing why
- a feeling that your bowels are not emptied properly
Who should not participate?
If you are in a control program already involving examinations by colonoscopy, for example after cancer surgery, for polyps or because of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, you do not need to participate in ColorectalScreen Norway.
If you have serious chronic diseases, the disadvantages may be greater than the benefit of participating. If you are unsure whether this applies to you, you should talk with your general practitioner if ColorectalScreen Norway is appropriate for you.
This applies, for example, if you are being, or have been treated for chronic or serious illness - or if you have a reduced general health or are in need of care.
Are you unsure if screening is right for you?
Colorectal cancer screening is a voluntary health service, and you decide whether you want to accept the invitation. Participating in the ColorectalScreen Norway can have both benefits and harms.
