Dad urges others to complete 'super easy' at-home bowel cancer screening test after it saved his life
A dad of two who was diagnosed with bowel cancer, despite having no symptoms, has urged people to complete their own vital screening tests.
Andy Robinson was given the 'life-changing' news that he had Stage 1 cancer in July 2024.
Andy, who spent 25 years of his career in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and now works at Rolls Royce in engineering, explained: "The news I received made me wake up to the hours I put in at work, and my work/life balance. It's been a warning shot that I'm not immortal and I need to make the most of the time with my family."
In June, he received an at-home FIT test (Faecal Immunochemical Test) from the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. This is a simple process whereby a patient sends off a small stool sample, to be checked for hidden blood. Historically, screening started at the age of 60, but this has gradually been lowered, with the test now being available to those who are 50 and above. Andy said he displayed no symptoms or felt ill at all, but after sending the sample, received the news that blood had been detected.
Since the diagnosis Andy's been an advocate for the screening process and can’t promote the FIT kit test highly enough. He said: "It just drops through the door, and I can't express how simple and easy it is to do. Don't put it off or bury your head in the sand. You don't want to be on the treatment journey in a worse diagnosis position further down the line.
"I feel very lucky that the age of Bowel Cancer Screening has been lowered, if I hadn't had the opportunity to participate in the programme, it could've been a completely different and more serious situation. For me it's saved my life. It's given me the extension of my life by having that early detection."
Andy described the significant impact his diagnosis has had on close friends, with one friend confessing to leaving his own FIT kit test in his bedside table for many years. "It prompted my friends to also do their tests. It woke people up to bowel cancer and the fact that it’s such a simple and easy test."
Following his positive FIT test, he was referred to the Endoscopy service at Royal Derby Hospital to have a colonoscopy; a procedure where a thin, flexible tube with a camera (colonoscope) is inserted into the rectum to examine the entire large intestine (colon), and used to detect conditions such as polyps, inflammation, and cancer, and is often used as a preventative measure or to diagnose bowel symptoms. Andy described the colonoscopy as 'surprisingly straightforward', he said: "The Endoscopy team were friendly and reassuring, and I was given pain relief to make me comfortable during the procedure."
During the colonoscopy biopsy samples were taken of a suspicious looking area and sent away for further testing and he was also sent for a CT scan due to the colonoscopy findings. Once all the results had been processed, Andy was seen in clinic where it was confirmed that he had Stage 1 bowel cancer. Andy was told he would need surgery to remove the area of the bowel where the cancer was located, but because it had been found at such an early stage, he wouldn't require any other treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Before the surgery taking place Andy was given the option to take part in the Exercise Prehabilitation in Colorectal Cancer (EPiC) programme. The team within this programme, led by Surgical Research Fellow, Joshua Wall, work alongside patients who are due to have abdominal based surgery and design either a cardio or weight-based fitness regime for each patient in the six weeks leading up to their surgery to see which route supports a quicker recovery six weeks post-surgery. Andy welcomed the opportunity to be part of the trial and said: "It gave me something to focus on and a distraction from worrying in those six weeks leading up to my operation."
Since his cancer journey Andy has been trying to tick more things of his bucket list. His first solo outing two months after his operation saw him travel down to London to take part in the Remembrance Day parade.
He said: "It was a great feeling. I've always wanted to go and experience it firsthand, and the atmosphere was amazing. I saw it as a good way to celebrate my positive outcome from the journey I'd just been through and spread awareness to my friends in the ‘military family'.
"I've kept putting off getting another VW campervan, but this made me think, 'you can't keep postponing the things you really want to do.' I want our two young boys to come away with me and my wife and for us to make memories together."
A Bowel cancer screening FIT test is a free NHS test that helps to diagnose bowel cancer at an early stage. It also prevents bowel cancer by dealing with pre-cancerous conditions before they have chance to change into something more sinister. FIT tests are eligible to everyone aged from 50 years and are sent out in the post every two years. However, data indicates that approximately 1 in 3 people across England who are sent a FIT kit test do not complete and return it.