Australia's National Bowel Cancer Screening Program offers a free home-based test called the FIT (faecal immunochemical test — you may have also seen it called FOBT). It's sent to everyone aged 45–74 every two years. You collect a tiny sample from your stool at home and post it to a laboratory. The test looks for microscopic traces of blood that you couldn't see with your own eyes. If the result comes back positive, it simply means blood was detected in your sample — it does not mean cancer has been found.
Blood in the stool can come from many different places, and the vast majority of causes are not cancer. Common reasons include haemorrhoids (piles), a small tear in the anal area (fissure), bowel polyps (small growths that are usually benign), diverticular disease, or mild inflammation. That said, bowel cancer and pre-cancerous polyps can also bleed — which is why every positive result needs to be followed up with a colonoscopy. Roughly 1 in 14 people who screen positive are found to have bowel cancer; for the rest, there's another — usually more straightforward — explanation.
A colonoscopy is a camera examination of your large bowel. It's the only test that can both look at the bowel directly and deal with anything found on the spot — for example, a polyp can be removed at the same time it's discovered. After a positive bowel screening result, a colonoscopy is the necessary next step, and it should be arranged promptly. Mr Nguyen performs colonoscopies at Warringal Private Hospital and Epworth Eastern.
A normal colonoscopy is genuinely reassuring. It means the source of bleeding detected by the screening test is not coming from your large bowel. Your doctor may then suggest a gastroscopy — a similar camera test of your upper digestive tract — to look for other sources of blood loss, especially if blood tests show you have iron deficiency anaemia.
After your GP refers you, Mr Nguyen's rooms will contact you to arrange a consultation and schedule your colonoscopy. The day before the procedure, you'll need to take a bowel preparation — a drink that clears out your bowel so the camera can see clearly. The colonoscopy itself is done under light sedation, so you'll be comfortable and relaxed. Afterwards, you'll receive a full report explaining exactly what was found.
A positive FOBT result should prompt a referral within days, not weeks. The target is a colonoscopy within 4–8 weeks of your result. If you also have any of the following, please ask your GP to mark the referral as urgent: a change in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, significant rectal bleeding, or iron deficiency anaemia. Do not wait to see whether symptoms resolve — early investigation is always the right call.
Ask your GP for a referral to Mr Nguyen as soon as you receive your positive result. His rooms will triage your referral and arrange an appointment promptly — in many cases the consultation and colonoscopy booking are arranged together. After the colonoscopy you will receive a clear written report, and Mr Nguyen will discuss the findings with you and explain any further steps needed.
No — the majority of positive results turn out to be caused by something benign, like haemorrhoids or polyps, as explained above. But every positive result does need to be properly investigated with a colonoscopy — that's what the screening program is designed for.
It's important to arrange one as soon as you can — ideally within 4–8 weeks of your positive result. Please don't let it drift. Mr Nguyen's rooms triage urgent referrals and will do their best to see you promptly.
Yes. Ask your GP to refer you to a specialist — such as Mr Nguyen — as soon as possible after your positive result. Your GP is your first point of contact, and they can get the referral organised quickly.
Yes — and this is really important. Bowel cancer and pre-cancerous polyps very often cause no symptoms at all. That's the whole point of screening — to find things early, when they're much easier to treat, before you start feeling unwell. Feeling fine is not a reason to delay.
Mr Ba Nguyen sees patients at his consulting rooms in Heidelberg and performs colonoscopies at Warringal Private Hospital and Epworth Eastern in Box Hill. To book, ask your GP for a referral — or contact us directly and we can help guide you through the process.