To think these people are being reckless with their health?

[Kaylasmum49]

After a conversation at work about bowel screening i'm shocked at the amount of people who don't participate in this. Also there are some that don't have any of the screening tests that are offered.

Aibu to think that they are being reckless and even quite selfish, especially if there are children to consider?

How many 6o plus year olds do you have in your office who are "being reckless" and how many of them have children (who are under 30!) to consider

Dp was diagnosed at 60 terminally ill with bowel cancer. Our dc are under 18. Youngest was 13 when he was diagnosed.

The biggest thing the NHS could do would be to test for the thing the patient thinks the problem is first. We are not stupid. If you are having pain in your lower stomach. You are dreadfully constipated and your stomach has a bulge to one side and you have a history of bowel cancer in your family does it seem strange that the first thing that runs through a doctors mind is you have a hernia and spends several minutes wrestling to get it put back into place. Then spends months running tests for everything other than what everyone outside the medical profession could see what was wrong.

Looking at bowel screening stats there are so many people who decline bowel screening. I think fear of a positive result could be a reason for this.

The Dangers of False Positives

curry clearly I don’t refuse to treat patients based on their screening history (or indeed any other history) but I’m acutely aware on a daily basis how much the NHS is struggling financially and some of the attitudes on this thread do frustrate me. I love working in the nhs and genuinely believe we have one of the best healthcare systems in the world, it’s amazing to be able to offer the same treatment to all comers, irrespective of their income, but the money is running out.

"There is also a new type of screwing being trialled"

Yeah, I'm out.

Oliversmumsarmy I am so sorry to hear that. A very similar scenario with one of my aunts.

I had bowel screening early due to family history, wasn't clear initially so had a colonoscopy and all was well, I have a sibling who was diagnosed very early due to screening and is now fit and well.

Screening can and does save lives.

I hope you and your children are OK.

So sorry to hear about your DP @Oliversmumsarmy

Meh I can't get annoyed by this. Obesity and people eating themselves to a slow painful and expensive death using public funds are a bigger issue. But you cant say anything about that as it's their choice as an adult to eat shit and take no exercise

Isn't bowel screening only for the over 60's or 65's? What children would there be to consider?

Plenty of men become fathers in their 50s. Rarer for women but I know a couple of women who had babies when they were late 40s so still children when mum hit 60.

My husband is 55 and just took up the screening offered near us. Because we have a toddler together.

Yes, not taking offered screening is foolish, regardless of whether you have children - of any age - or not. Yes, it is also a PITA to do (pun not intended!)

But as others mentioned, my opinion on others' actions is just that - my opinion. But not my business!

'I just feel that you should participate in all the screening offered.'

It's a good thing you don't rule the world then . Why not tell your colleagues what you've told us here?

What were his reasons for declining the test?

I can't remember to be honest, it was a couple of years ago.

'I just feel that you should participate in all the screening offered.'

I feel its down to individual choice. I choose what health screening I have (none apart from a smear) and that's my choice and my risk to take.

'What were his reasons for declining the test?'

Some people have grade IV internal piles and any screening will always show up blood in the stool, so they'll be called in for colonoscopy no matter what.

Other people make different choices to the choices you make op. It’s a sad fact but people will choose to smoke, drink way too much, skip cervical smears, ignore requests to attend mammograms, climb on the roof in wet weather, drive when tired, have affairs, have abortions, drive drunk, take drugs, have underage sex. You get the picture? I could go on and on listing poor life choices, you can’t fix all the world so concentrate on taking care of those you love and make sure they know how to make the right choices.

If you start worrying about everyone else in the world it will literally drive you crazy.

Some people are scared. Some people are embaresssd, some people have poor memories and time management and miss screening appointments, some people are oveewhelmed by their to do list and cannot cope so put it all to one side, some people dont open their post, some people dont get their post.......

Compliance is complex.
TBH though how many of us still eat red meat although its known to be only surpassed by smoking in the cancer causing stakes. I do, do you OP ?

It's worth considering the dangers of a false positive result before accepting screening. A relative of mine had a positive result from the bowel screening test about 5 or 6 years ago. This led to treatment. To date he has never had a cancer diagnosis, but had suspicious polyps apparently. He had an operation for this which went a bit wrong and as a result had very severe postoperative complications (don't want to go into details for privacy). He has had numerous operations and treatment as a result and came extremely close to death - recently had to be resuscitated post-op due to a blood clot. All of this resulting from a screening test in an otherwise healthy asymptomatic 70 year old.

I very rarely eat red meat as I don't particularly like it.

I haven't said that its my business, just that i'm surprised at the amount of people who decide not to screen.

I also only eat it rarely but I still eat it. Its very close to smoking im the carcinogen stakes no other lifestyle factor comes closs to the pair of them yet if you said you smoked ocassionally would you still consider yourself to be the a gold standard for risk prevention?

You see its problematic when one starts to throw the first stone when it comes to the health blame game.

Surely a false positive will only result in a colonoscopy? If the colonoscopy finds something then you are offered treatment. Suspicious polyps might have resulted in cancer or on the other hand he could have made an informed decision to refuse treatment. Ignorance isn't always bliss.

As I am participating in a campaign to lower the bowel screening age in England from 60 to 50, i am genuinely interested in the reason any mumsnetter or relative chose not to send off a sample.

And yes, I understand that this is a relative,y cheap 'screening' test and there will be false positives (although blood in poo is never right) and false negatives (an added complication)

The trouble with many of these screening tests is that the NHS are often preaching to the converted. Those of us who are conscientious (the 'worried well'?) will take part and those who don't want to know aren't listening. Most of are somewhere in the middle.

If a test is offered to me I'll take it (bowel testing I believe is offered to those aged 60 and over) and I know of those who worry a great deal and do as asked. The thing is we have a choice and some cancers are simply a matter of bad luck.

Sure, but I think it can be quite difficult, once you set off down this investigatory path, to refuse treatment. If you know about a possible issue I can imagine many people would feel that accepting any offered treatment is the safest option.