Experts have raised the alarm about four critical symptoms of a potentially fatal illness that has seen rising cases in younger people. Health specialists are urging anyone who notices these warning signs to seek advice from their GP without delay, regardless of age or perceived good health.
US researchers have pinpointed the most telling indicators of bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, which can appear up to two years before diagnosis. Just one symptom can double the risk of developing the disease, while having three or more could increase the risk by 6.5 times, the study suggests.
As reported by GloucestershireLive, a team from Washington University School of Medicine looked at data from over 5,000 patients with early-onset bowel cancer and found that, typically, four key symptoms present between three months and two years prior to diagnosis:.
- Abdominal pain
- Rectal bleeding
- Diarrhoea
- Iron deficiency anaemia
They noted that each of these symptoms is associated with an increased risk for individuals under 50 years old, highlighting that bowel cancer “is not simply a disease affecting older people”. Researcher and associate professor Yin Cao issued a warning about the rising cases of colorectal cancer in younger adults, stating: “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.”
She stressed the need for greater awareness among healthcare professionals, saying: “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.”
Dr Cao highlighted two key symptoms – rectal bleeding and iron deficiency anaemia, a condition causing fatigue and pale skin – as warning signs that should prompt patients to see their doctor and request an endoscopy immediately. The warning comes as separate research reveals that people born in 1990 are twice as likely to develop colon cancer and four times as likely to develop rectal cancer compared to those born in 1950.
“Since the majority of early-onset colorectal cancer cases have been and will continue to be diagnosed after symptom presentation, it is crucial to recognise these red-flag signs and symptoms promptly and conduct a diagnostic work-up as soon as possible,” Dr Cao added. “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.”
The NHS outlines several symptoms to be vigilant about when it comes to bowel cancer:
Cancer Research UK ‘s figures show that bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 11 percent of all new cancer cases. Alarmingly, it is also the second biggest cause of cancer deaths, claiming around 16,800 lives annually.