A doctor performs a colonoscopy on a patient at a hospital in France. In New Zealand, demand for the procedure that looks for bowel cancer continues to outstrip supply. Photo: REUTERS
Calls for nurse practitioners to be trained to do some colonoscopies, as the number of bowel cancer cases in under 50 year olds rises. Currently, free bowel screening in the form of a home self kit, is offered every 2 years to 58 to 74 year olds. But Christchurch surgeon Phil Bagshaw, founder of the Christchuch Charity Hospital says there is a global rise in the number of people younger than 50 who are being diagnosed with the colo-rectal cancer.
He says the cause isn't known, so bowel screening and early diagnosis of those with symptoms is vital. In an article published in the New Zealand Medical Journal today, he and other researchers say there are already delays in diagnosis, because of a shortage of endoscopists. They make the case for following the UK model, where nurse endoscopists are able to perform partial colonoscopies.
Bryan Crump speaks with Christchurch surgeon Phil Bagshaw and nurse researcher Karen Gower , authors of the NZMJ report.
