Stool sample and colonoscopy
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You will receive a sample set in the mail. You take a small sample of your stool and put it in a test tube provided. You send this to our laboratory at Akershus University Hospital for analysis.
How to collect the stool sample
Within four weeks after we receive the sample, you will receive a reply irrespective of the test result.
If blood is detected in your stool during screening, you will be called in for a colonoscopy examination at the hospital. This involves examining the inside of your intestine. Of 1,000 people who submit the stool sample, 60 will be informed that blood has been detected. They will be advised to have this further investigated by colonoscopy at the hospital.
Blood in the stool does not always mean cancer
The sample you take cannot say whether you have cancer or not. It can only reveal if there are traces of blood in your stool. There are several reasons why one can bleed from the bowel. Cancerous tumors and polyps can bleed, but there can also be other and completely innocent causes.
One in 20 with detected blood in the stool are found to have colorectal cancer. In most people who come for a colonoscopy after stool screening, we do not find anything seriously wrong.
Repeating the test every two years
If no blood is found in the stool, you will be offered a new sample every two years until the age of 65. By repeating the tests, the goal is to detect more cases of colorectal cancer.
- Sometimes a stool sample does not show signs of blood, even if you have colon cancer. One in four people with cancer will have a normal test and thus not be detected by the screening test.
- Cancer can develop after you take the test.
Colonoscopy
Colonoscopy uses a soft, flexible tube that is introduced through your back passage and passed up through the intestine. Tissue samples can be taken and treatments performed through the colonoscope - for example, removing polyps.
How to prepare for a colonoscopy
To be able to adequately inspect the inside of the colon, it must be cleansed in advance. There are several different remedies and procedures for cleansing the colon before colonoscopy. The most common way is to drink two batches of a prescribed laxative dissolved in water. You take one in the afternoon the day before the examination and the other one in the morning on the day of the procedure.
ColorectalScreen Norway has no information about your state of health at the time of the procedure.
Therefore we ask you to contact the screening center well in advance of your colonoscopy if you:
- use blood thinners (such as Marevan/Warfarin, Eliquis, Pradaxa, Xarelto, Plavix and Effient, Lixiana). Dosages may have to be adjusted. Albyl-E and other acetylsalicylic acid can be used as usual.
- have a defibrillator or pacemaker
- have chronic heart, lung or kidney disease
- are under treatment, or have recently been treated for serious illness
- have a reduced general health or are in need of care
- are using medication for diabetes
- have been diagnosed with a contagious disease or have been admitted to a health care institution outside the Nordic region for the past 12 months.
Complications during a colonoscopy
The colonoscopy examination usually lasts for 20 to 40 minutes - but can sometimes take longer. One in four people experience discomfort or pain. If necessary, you can receive relaxing medicines or painkillers. In that case, you cannot drive until the next day.
Polyps can be removed by colonoscopy. This does not hurt. Complications such as bleeding or holes in the bowel occur in about 1 to 7 out of 1000 colonoscopies. This is usually treated immediately and during the examination itself, but some may need to be hospitalized.
Some complications can occur several days after you have had the examination. If you experience severe abdominal pain, fever or blood in the stools, it is important that you contact the hospital.
Screening is not a gurantee against colon cancer
Participating in colorectal screening provides no guarantee against colon cancer in the future. Therefore, you should talk to your doctor if you experience persistent bowel symptoms, even if you have recently participated in the screening program.
Examples of such symptoms are:
- visible blood in the stool
- a change in bowel habits
- weightloss
- a feeling that your bowels have not emptied properly
Lifestyle and dietary habits can affect your risk of colorectal cancer. Engaging in physical activity can reduce the risk, while factors like high body weight, alcohol consumption, and eating processed meat can increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
