Colon cancer patients reveal early symptoms to look out for as cases rise in younger people
The sad fact is that 2.1 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in the USA in 2026, as breast, prostate, and lung cancer are some of the most prevalent.
Heart disease remains the biggest killer in the U.S., but with it and cancer making up 42% of all deaths in the country, billions are spent every year on global cancer research
Even though some claim AI will soon be able to cure all cancers, and while it's true we're making massive leaps in terms of immunotherapy and potential cures for the likes of pancreatic cancer, cancer still destroys millions of lives and families every year.
Most alarmingly, Cancer Research UK previously shared a report that claims colorectal cancer cases are climbing among the younger demographic.
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While you might associate colon cancer with something that hits us later in life, the charity warned that an American Cancer Society-led research team found increasing rates of colorectal cancer in younger adults in 27 out of the 50 countries and territories studied.
Of course, spotting symptoms and being diagnosed early are crucial in fighting colon cancer. Speaking to UT MD Anderson, gastroenterologist Dr David Richards reiterated: "Any time symptoms persist for longer than two weeks, they are cause for concern."
The biggest issue is that symptoms of colorectal cancer can often be mistaken for other health issues like Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or even a stomach virus.
Richards highlighted symptoms to look out for and added: "That’s particularly true if they’re accompanied by abdominal pain, bloody stools or unintentional weight loss." But just what are the key symptoms that your potential stomach virus could be something much worse?
Blood in your stool or the toilet
Louisiana pediatrician Anatole Karpovs was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer at age 37 and explained her symptoms: "I experienced bloody stools, bowel changes, and abdominal pains for months."
As she was a busy doctor with a hectic family life, she didn't have time to be sick and simply explained her symptoms away. It was only after she’d been noticing blood more regularly that she decided to seek help.
Robert Harris was diagnosed at the age of 76, adding: "I started having dark stools and a little pain in my lower abdomen, so I called my family doctor.
"She thought it might be my appendix, since the pain was on my right side, so she brought me in for a check-up. But then she did a digital exam and said there was blood in my stool."
Diarrhea
Courtney Nash was just 35 when she was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer, but looking back, she pinpoints her chronic diarrhea, frequent stomach aches, and other digestive issues, which were originally put down to 20 years of suffering from ulcerative colitis. Eventually learning she had colon cancer, Nash admitted: "After the birth of my second daughter, my symptoms increased dramatically. I started dropping weight, losing my hair and even passing blood occasionally."
Constipation and problems with bowel movements
When it came to Catherine Wright's stage III colorectal cancer diagnosis at the age of 33, she was initially hit by problems with her bowel movements: "I was pregnant with my second child when I began having constipation. Each night, I’d wake up with an urgent need to go to the bathroom. But then I’d sit on the toilet, unable to empty my bowels."
Jaystan Davis was only 19 when he was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer, saying he thought his inconsistent stools were due to diet changes he'd made. When he learned it was cancer, he said: "I was scared and very confused."
Unexpected weight loss
For retired MD Anderson infectious diseases specialist Kenneth Rolston, he noticed some unexpected and unexplained weight loss: "I’d been losing weight steadily for about four months by early 2017. And I was not trying to. I was also experiencing fatigue."
It was only after his wife said, "You are literally melting away before my eyes," that he sought medical assistance and was then diagnosed with stage I colorectal cancer.
When to call a doctor
UT MD Anderson notes that any of the above could be mistaken for a variety of other ailments, but if you experience any of the following 'alarm symptoms', it could be considered a red flag that requires an immediate trip to your doctor. That includes rectal bleeding, stools that appear black and are either loose and sticky or tarry, severe fatigue that stops you from performing your usual daily tasks, a low blood count, unintentional weight loss, and iron-deficiency anemia.
Richards concluded: "Things like diarrhea and constipation are so general that they could be due to many possible causes. None of them necessarily means that you have colorectal cancer. But if a symptom is persistent, rather than a one-time issue, it should at least warrant a conversation with your doctor.
"And, some symptoms, such as rectal bleeding, black stools, and anemia, should prompt a visit to your doctor, if they haven’t already been evaluated."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.