A self-test for colon cancer is available to take in the drugstore chain Kruidvat from Monday as part of campaigning for International Colon Cancer Month.
Kruidvat has teamed up with non-profit 'Stop Darmkanker' (Stop Colon Cancer) to offer self-tests for the early detection of colon cancer. The test detects blood in the stool that is invisible to the naked eye, which could indicate polyps, colorectal cancer or other bowel conditions. An abnormal result does not necessarily mean cancer but does require medical follow-up.
The new form of testing differs from pre-existing government screening already available to 50- to 74-year-olds. The programme consists of taking a stool sample at home and sending it away to be examined every two years.
In contrast, the test launched on Monday offers immediate results and is open to all ages. It costs €12.
"People who are not reached by the population screening certainly benefit from taking the test," says Luc Colemont, gastrointestinal specialist and founder of Stop Colon Cancer. "From the age of 40, it can be useful to do a self-test. The self-test is an ideal addition to the population survey. Almost one in three is older than 74 at the time of diagnosis."
Luc Colemont pictured during a press conference of investment company Alychlo in 2015. Credit: Belga / Kurt Desplenter
Colemont calls on the government to lower the age threshold to 45 from 50. He also highlights that people who have undergone a colonoscopy are currently not invited for a screening for ten years. "That way you also miss people."
An IPSOS survey commissioned by Kruidvat indicates that 48% of respondents were prepared to take a self-test.
"By offering the test at a store like Kruidvat, you also reach people who do not often visit the GP or pharmacy," Colemont adds.
"It not only lowers the financial threshold, but also the social threshold that some people still experience," says Dominique Vandijck, health economist at the University of Ghent and co-CEO of Stop Colon Cancer.
The self-test now offered at Kruidvat has been available in pharmacies for almost a decade.
'Little or no knowledge' of colon cancer
March is International Colon Cancer Month. Colorectal cancer, which starts in either the colon or the rectum, is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Belgium.
Nearly 74% of Belgians said they had "little or no knowledge" of the disease, according to the Kruidvat-commissioned IPSOS survey.
Credit: Belga / Dirk Waem
According to figures from the Cancer Registry Foundation, colon cancer is the third most common cancer in Belgium, in both men and women. Nearly 8,000 new cases are detected each year, while it causes more than 2,400 deaths per year.
"One in 20 Belgians will be confronted with this form of cancer during their lifetime," says Colemont.
Over nine in ten colon cancers can be cured if detected early enough, specifies the Cancer Foundation.
