A study to find out why some bowel screening test results show blood when there is no cancer

This study looked at why some people’s bowel screening test results show blood in the stool when they don’t have bowel cancer.

At the time of this study, everyone in England between the ages of 60 and 69 received an invitation to take part in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Along with a letter they received a kit to collect a tiny amount of stool (faeces).

The bowel screening test involves testing stool (poo) for blood. If the results show that there is blood in the sample, you have a further bowel test called a colonoscopy to check for cancer. But most people who have a colonoscopy don’t have bowel cancer.

The researchers wanted to understand more about why this was so.