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Image relating to Bowel cancer test research at Hospital of St Cross could prove life-saving for members of British Armed Forces

Bowel cancer test research at Hospital of St Cross could prove life-saving for members of British Armed Forces

Potentially life-saving research for members of the British Armed Forces is set to be carried out at the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby.

The Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) based at the Barby Road site is to study the effect of extreme temperatures on the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), which is used to look for blood in a sample of your poo – a potential sign of bowel cancer.

The FIT is currently only usable when kept in temperatures between 0 and 30 degrees Celsius and has to be returned within 14 days, meaning those in the Armed Forces often miss out on being screened.

Thanks to support from the Friends of St Cross, who have helped to provide testing equipment, the BCSP is launching a six-month study that will investigate the impact that hotter and colder temperatures, as well as the timeframe in which kits are returned, has on results.

BCSP Lab Manager Jim Robinson said: “This is exciting research and the benefit may go beyond just the Armed Forces.

“It can sometimes take more than 14 days for test kits to be returned and the programme does not make allowances for this, or the temperature that kits may be exposed to on their transport to any of the national hubs as this may impact the reliability of the test results.

“We are grateful to the Friends for their generosity which is allowing us to proceed with this important study.”

The Hospital of St Cross was chosen 25 years ago to host one of five national BCSP hubs in the country.

The service saves lives by the early detection of bowel cancer, one of the most common cancers in the UK, and employs more than 50 people, predominantly from the local area.

Doug Jones, Chair of The Friends of St Cross, said: “We are delighted to have supported a request for a centrifuge and testing equipment which the BCSP team are hoping will help them to lead the way in research.

“It is hoped this will enable them to reliably expand the service to include the Armed Forces and also process kits which are more than 14 days old.”

Bowel cancer screening is offered to everyone aged 54 to 74 (from April 2025 this will be 50 to 74) every two years. Click here for more details.


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