Colorectal cancer screening

We are inviting everyone from the screened age groups living in Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso and South Karelia to screening for colorectal cancer. Screening is a free of charge service offered by your wellbeing services county.

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Colorectal cancer, or sometimes bowel cancer, is the collective term for colon and rectal cancers. An estimated 3,500 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in Finland every year. It is the third most common cancer in Finland. The purpose of screening is to detect colorectal cancer at a stage when it is more likely to be curable. The goal of the screening process is to reduce deaths from colorectal cancer.

The free-of-charge screening is based on a test that looks for hidden blood in the stool. No appointment is needed for collecting a sample or delivering it to the laboratory for analysis. You find more information on delivering the sample under "How do I store the sample tube and where do I deliver the sample?".

Wellbeing services counties are obliged by law to arrange colorectal cancer screening for their residents. Diagnostic Center mails the screening invitations and functions as the screening center for wellbeing services counties in Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso and South Karelia.

Health information form for colorectal cancer screening (opens in new window, links to another website)

If you have received an invitation for colorectal cancer screening, you can fill in your health information for the screening online.

Returning the sample

All HUS laboratories have a return machine or a return box for receiving samples. You do not need to book an appointment to return the sample. You can also mail the return envelope to the laboratory.

Check "When will my age group be screened?" to see when your age group is screened for colorectal cancer.

Diagnostic Center will mail the invitations in staggered batches during the calendar year to those persons whose wellbeing services county has an agreement with Diagnostic Center regarding screening services.

Diagnostic Center obtains the information of those invited for screening from the address extraction done by Digital and Population Data Services Agency. If you have recently moved and you have not received an invitation to the screening, see "I have not received an invitation – what should I do?".

We invite different age groups to colorectal cancer screening according to the list below. The list indicates the first year of screening. Thereafter, the screening will continue every two years until the age group reaches 74 years of age.

Born in the 1970s

1976: First year of screening 2032

1975: First year of screening 2031

1974: First year of screening 2032

1973: First year of screening 2031

1972: First year of screening 2030

1971: First year of screening 2029

1970: First year of screening 2030

Born in the 1960s

1969: First year of screening 2029

1968: First year of screening 2028

1967: First year of screening 2027

1966: First year of screening 2026

1965: First year of screening 2025

1964: First year of screening 2024

1963: First year of screening 2023

1962: First year of screening 2022

1961: First year of screening 2023

1960: First year of screening 2022

Born in the 1950s

1959: First year of screening 2023

1958: First year of screening 2022

1957: First year of screening 2023

1956: First year of screening 2022

1955: First year of screening 2023

1954: First year of screening 2022

1953: First year of screening 2023

You will receive the screening invitation to your home address.

Along with the invitation, you will receive equipment for collecting a stool sample and a cardboard return envelope with paid postage. The test does not cost you anything.

You take the screening sample at home by lightly rolling the testing stick in your stool. For instructions on how to take the sample, please refer to the sampling instructions enclosed with the invitation letter. Return the sample in the cardboard envelope by bringing it to a return box in a HUS laboratory, or by mailing it no later than the next weekday after the sample is taken. You do not need to book an appointment to deliver the sample to the laboratory for analysis.

Everyone who has been invited is eligible to participate. No preparations are necessary before taking the sample. You do not need to fast or stop any of your medications when you take the sample. There is no medical condition that would prevent you from taking part. You can collect the sample at any time of the day.

Instructions for collecting the sample, filling in preliminary information and returning the sample.pdf(pdf 302.96 KB)

Colorectal cancer can be very asymptomatic at first. Someone with colorectal cancer can also have vague symptoms such as stomach pain, constipation and diarrhea. The colorectal tumor may bleed a little but the blood is not visible to the naked eye at the early stage.

Colorectal cancer screening uses the FIT test, which can detect hidden blood in the stool. The test can detect blood in the stool before it is visible to the naked eye. This allows us to diagnose the cancer at an early stage and treat it before it has a chance to progress further.

Possible colorectal cancer symptoms include a new change in bowel movements (such as stomach pain, constipation or diarrhea), bleeding from the anus, blood in the stool or black stool, anemia and fatigue or unexplained weight loss.

If these symptoms persist without a clear reason, contact a physician. You should seek medical attention even if you have recently participated or are about to participate in screening. However, it should be kept in mind that these symptoms are not usually due to cancer.

Store the sample tube at room temperature. Return the sample in the cardboard envelope by bringing it to a return box in a HUS laboratory, or by mailing it no later than the next weekday after the sample is taken.

HUS laboratories have a return machine or a return box marked with the text “Colorectal cancer screening” (Suolistosyöpäseulonta) for receiving samples. You do not need to book an appointment to deliver the sample to the laboratory for analysis.

You find contact details for all HUS laboratories here.

You can also mail the return envelope to the laboratory. Return postage has been paid.

You will receive the results by letter at your home address within approximately one month of the date your sample is received for testing. Laboratory test results will not be given out over the phone.

A negative or normal result means that no blood was detected in your sample. The next screening invitation will arrive in two years.

Around four out of every hundred screening participants will test positive. A positive result means that blood was detected in your sample. Blood in the stool does not necessarily signify colorectal cancer or its precursors. It can be due to other causes that require further examinations.

You will need a new sampling kit if the sample tube has been damaged in any way (e.g. the tube does not contain any liquid) or if your invitation package is missing the sample tube altogether.

You will also need a new sampling kit if it is not possible to read the series of characters starting with H or the bar code on the sample ID sticker.

The easiest way to order a new sampling kit is by visiting www.seula.hus.fi/en:

Sign at www.seula.hus.fi/en. You user ID is the sample ID (starts with the letter H) you can find below the bar in the invitation letter. The password is the first six digits of your personal identity code.
Select "Order a new sampling kit".

You can also order a new sampling kit by calling the Diagnostic Center’s laboratory customer service, tel. 09 471 86800 (dial 4 for colorectal cancer screening).

Make sure that you belong to the age group that is currently screened. See "When will my age group be screened?"
Invitations are sent at a steady pace throughout the year. If you have not received your invitation by the end of October, you can contact the Diagnostic Center’s customer service.
If you have moved to Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso, or South Karelia from elsewhere in Finland or from abroad, you can contact the Diagnostic Center’s customer service to participate in the screening.

Diagnostic Center's laboratory customer service tel. 09 471 86800 (dial 4 for colorectal cancer screening).

If blood is discovered in the screening sample, a colonoscopy is usually performed. Around four out of every hundred screening participants invited for a colonoscopy. A majority of them are not diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

The colonoscopy is performed by using a pliable endoscope. During the colonoscopy, your doctor may take biopsies and remove mucosal changes called polyps that have the potential to become cancerous.

If blood is discovered in your screening sample, the screening nurse in your home municipality can provide you with more information on the examination and how to prepare.

Data regarding screening is stored in patient records, which are confidential.

HUS Diagnostic Center submits a summary of the colorectal cancer screening tests it has performed to the Mass Screening Registry of the Finnish Cancer Registry. The Mass Screening Registry collects data on mass population screenings throughout Finland. Compiling and submitting the information to the Mass Screening Registry of the Finnish Cancer Registry is based on legislation. Additionally, Diagnostic Center compiles a summary about colorectal cancer screening to the wellbeing services counties that purchase the service from Diagnostic Center. The summary delivered to the wellbeing services counties does not contain anyone's personal test results.

For more information on sample collection and help with any problems, please contact the Diagnostic Center’s laboratory customer service, tel. 09 471 86800 (dial 4, colorectal cancer screening)