Young people are being urged to identify some of the early symptoms of bowel cancer as it could help the disease be diagnosed much earlier.
The disease also known as colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK, according to the NHS. Case numbers in young people have "nearly doubled" in recent years, although people are usually more at risk of developing bowel cancer if they're over the age of 50.
That's according to a new study by scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine, who have outlined some of the key symptoms that young adults should be keeping an eye out for.
Catching the disease often means there's a better chance of treating it, so it's vital to be clued up on the red flag signs.
The researchers say that there are four key symptoms that people tend to identify for up to two years before the cancer is actually diagnosed.
These warning signs - abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, diarrhoea and iron deficiency anaemia - each pose an increased risk in those under age 50.
Two of these red flag symptoms - rectal bleeding and iron deficiency anemia - are especially significant as it means patients should get checked out via an endoscopy.
Scientists said that having a single one of the symptoms almost doubled the risk, having two symptoms increased risk by more than 3.5 times, and having three or more boosted the risk by more than 6.5 times.
"Colorectal cancer is not simply a disease affecting older people; we want younger adults to be aware of and act on these potentially very telling signs and symptoms — particularly because people under 50 are considered to be at low risk, and they don’t receive routine colorectal cancer screening," said senior investigator Yin Cao, an associate professor of surgery in Washington University's Public Health Sciences Division.
"It’s also crucial to spread awareness among primary care doctors, gastroenterologists and emergency medicine doctors.
"To date, many early-onset colorectal cancers are detected in emergency rooms, and there often are significant diagnostic delays with this cancer."
Although the death rate from colorectal cancer has been dropping for several decades in older adults thanks to regular colonoscopies and better treatment, more younger people are diagnosed with the disease at advanced stage.
These late diagnoses can sadly mean the cancer is untreatable, leading to death - therefore it's important for young adults to be aware of the signs.
“Since the majority of early-onset colorectal cancer cases have been and will continue to be diagnosed after symptom presentation, it is crucial to recognize these red-flag signs and symptoms promptly and conduct a diagnostic work-up as soon as possible,” Cao said.
“By doing so, we can diagnose the disease earlier, which in turn can reduce the need for more aggressive treatment and improve patients’ quality of life and survival rates.”
Additional symptoms of bowel cancer
Aside from the four symptoms highlighted in the study, which was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the NHS also lists some of the most common signs to look out for.
These 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
- often feeling like you need to poo, even if you've just been to the toilet
- bloating
- losing weight without trying
- feeling very tired for no reason
If you go to the GP with any of these symptoms, the doctor will likely ask about your medical history, general health, or if anyone else in your family has had bowel cancer.
They may refer you for more tests or to see a specialist in hospital if they think you have symptoms that need to be checked out. This may be an urgent referral, usually within 2 weeks, if you have certain symptoms - but it doesn't definitely mean you have cancer.
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