Colon cancer is on the rise for young people, with Yale Medicine warning people as young as 20 to keep an eye out for signs.
In a recent TikTok, surgeon, author and lecturer Dr Karan Rajan agreed, Stitching a video of a young man who says he ignored a lot of signs he had the condition.
Some of the symptoms he skipped over were night sweats, abdominal pain, and changes in his bowel habits.
So Dr Rajan thought he’d share some signs you need to see a GP about your symptoms.
When should I worry?
The four most common symptoms in people with early onset colorectal cancer are diarrhoea, iron deficiency anaemia, rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain.
“But when should you get checked out if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms?” the doctor asked, as they’re quite vague.
Well, he shared, “there are three rules to follow.”
If you experience new symptoms or have noticed a change in your symptoms, it’s worth speaking to your doctor, the surgeon shared.
And “if you’re having a combination” of the four symptoms mentioned above (diarrhoea, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, and Iron deficiency anaemia), you should also see your GP.
That’s because, Dr Rajan says, “if you have at least three of these symptoms in combination, you have a six and a half times greater risk of developing bowel cancer than someone who has none of these symptoms.”
He cited a paper which put the figure at 1.94%-fold for those with one symptom and 3.59-fold higher for those with two symptoms between three months and two years before diagnosis rate.
There were “Stronger associations for younger ages,” the 2023 paper adds.
What if I suspect bowel cancer?
The NHS says some symptoms of bowel cancer include:
- changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
- needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
- blood in your poo, which may look red or black
- bleeding from your bottom
- often feeling like you need to poo, even if you’ve just been to the toilet
- tummy pain
- a lump in your tummy
- bloating
- losing weight without trying
- feeling very tired for no reason.
If you think something’s wrong, see a GP, they advise ― especially if you’ve had symptoms for longer than three weeks.
They shared you should book an emergency GP appointment if you notice black or red poo or have bloody diarrhoea.
If you’re bleeding non-stop from your bottom or notice the toilet water turns red or you have blood clots, call 999 or go to the A&E, they add.