Faecal Immunochemical Test and Urine Volatile Compounds in Adenoma Detection

Bowel cancer can arise from polyps, which can become cancerous. Polyps are little outgrowths within the lining of the bowel (similar to skin warts). Depending on their size and their potential to become cancerous, they can cause bleeding. However, it is not known which polyps harbour cancerous potential. Therefore, at present all patients undergo a colonoscopy (camera examination of the large bowel) in order to identify and remove any polyps. However, not all patients who undergo a colonoscopy will have polyps. Moreover, colonoscopies are invasive and disruptive to patients, as they require bowel preparation. The aim of this study is to evaluate non-invasive stool and urine tests to identify patients who are at risk of polyps and if the polyps have the potential to become cancerous. This in turn, will significantly reduce the number of ‘unnecessary’ polyp surveillance colonoscopies with resultant benefits to both patients and the National Health Service (NHS).