This is a British study which reported some preliminary results in 2002.

The trial was intended to see whether an examination with a flexible sigmoidoscope might help detect bowel cancers at an early stage. The sigmoidoscope is a soft tube that is inserted into the back passage and carries a small camera so that the doctors can look at the lower part of the bowel (the anal canal, the rectum and a small part of the colon). The test can be done as an outpatient and does not need any kind of anaesthetic and just lasts a few minutes.

In this trial, which was based on 14 centres in the UK, a total of over 350,000 people between the ages of 55 to 64 were asked if they would like to have the test. 55% (almost 200,000) said yes and of these just over 40,000 actually had the examination. Of these people 140 were found to have bowel cancer and the majority (more than 60%) of these growths were at an early stage, with an excellent chance of cure. In addition more than 5,000 bowel polyps were discovered, these are benign tumours which can sometimes develop into bowel cancers.

The study showed that the examination with the flexible sigmoidoscope was a safe and effective way of detecting polyps and some bowel cancers. It will be some time, however, before the results will be able to say whether this has altered the cure rate for bowel cancer and until this, and a number of other questions, has been answered, over the next few years no decisions will be taken on whether flexible sigmoidoscopy should be introduced on the NHS as a screening test for bowel cancer.

It should also be mentioned that flexible sigmoidoscopy is not the only way of screening for bowel cancer. Recently, pilot studies in the UK looked at the benefits and practicalities of screening for bowel cancer using faecal occult blood testing (FOB). The results were positive and the Government now plans to introduce a national screening programme for men and women, starting in April 2006.