A new study has revealed four red flag symptoms of colon cancer in young adults, following a spike in cases in the under 55s.
Rates have doubled among those within the above age category since the 1990s, reports the Mirror.
As part of new research into shifting case patterns, experts looked at the symptoms that were recorded in 5,075 people with early-onset colon cancer.
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These people were diagnosed with the disease before their 50th birthday.
The study, which was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, was based on health insurance claims which was submitted to the IBM MarketScan Commerical Database.
Each person diagnosed with early-onset colon cancer was matched to someone who did not have the condition.
Scientists then looked at each of the patients' medical reports to note whether they had any of the 17 symptoms linked with the form of cancer.
Four of the symptoms were normally ongoing, according to the scientists, and these included iron deficiency anemia.
This can be diagnosed via blood tests, a pale colouring under the inside of the lower eyelids, or having unusually pale or yellowing skin.
Dr Yin Cao, a surgeon at Washington University said it was important not to think of colon cancer as "simply a disease affecting older people".
She said: "We want younger adults to be aware of and act on these potentially very telling signs and symptoms.
"[This is] particularly because people under 50 are considered to be at low risk and they don't receive routine colorectal cancer screening."
Dr Cao added: "Since the majority of early-onset colon 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 diagnostic work-up as soon as possible.
"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."
Bowel cancer screenings on the NHS are meant to take two weeks to develop, but recent data showed that some were waiting over a year to be screened or have their results back.
This is due to a current backlog in waiting times.
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