The people invited to the screening receive the invitations to their home address by mail. Take the screening sample at home and bring it directly to a HUS laboratory or mail it in the enclosed pre-paid envelope. The stool-based screening is free for the participant.
Everyone can participate in the screening regardless of any underlying condition, medication, or special diet. No preparation, such as fasting, is needed before collecting the sample. The invitation includes detailed instructions on collecting the sample.
The screening invitations are mailed in three batches from February through November, and the invitation is valid until the end of 2026. However, we advise to return the sample as soon as possible after the invitation has arrived.
The results will be mailed to your home address within about a month after the sample has arrived at the laboratory.
The screening detects cancers at an early stage
The screening test looks for hidden blood in the stool sample.
The people eligible for the screening receive an invitation every two years until the age of 74. We recommend participating in the screening every time, even if no blood was found in the previous sample.
Approximately four out of one hundred samples contain blood. In most cases, blood in the sample does not indicate cancer or precancerous changes, but the reason for the bleeding should always be checked. The most common follow-up examination is a colonoscopy, during which any polyps that predispose to cancer can be removed, for example.
If you test positive, a City of Helsinki screening nurse will contact you by phone to assess whether you need further examinations. Colonoscopies for screening clients in Helsinki are performed at the HUS endoscopy unit. The colonoscopy is subject to an appointment fee.
Let us increase screening attendance in Helsinki together
Colorectal cancer, or bowel cancer, is the collective term for colon and rectal cancers. It is estimated that 4,500 people in Finland are diagnosed with colorectal cancer every year, and it is the third most common cancer in Finland. Colorectal cancer has become more common over the past decades.
In Helsinki, less than 70% of those invited attended screenings in 2023. This means that almost one third of residents in the target group do not attend a screening. The attendance rate of Helsinki residents is below the Finnish average.
“Attending screenings can feel awkward or difficult, but there is no reason for that, as the sample can be taken while using the toilet normally. Attendance is important, as the screening can detect any harmful changes well before the onset of any symptoms,” explains Chief Physician of the Internal Medicine Outpatient Clinic Kristiina Söderlund from the City of Helsinki.
