A doctor has urged people to "make an urgent appointment" if they notice three particular symptoms while on the toilet. The warning comes as new research reveals rates of a specific cancer are soaring amongst younger people.
Doctor's Warning on Bowel Cancer
In a video posted to social media platform TikTok, Doctor Sermed Mezher shed light on bowel cancer. Also referred to as colorectal cancer, the disease can affect both the rectum and colon.
According to Cancer Research UK, approximately 48,000 new bowel cancer cases are recorded in the UK every year. That makes it the fourth most common form of cancer in the country.
In recent years, climbing rates of bowel cancer among young people have raised serious alarm within the medical community. One report, published in The Lancet, revealed that the disease is advancing more rapidly amongst younger age groups than any other, with 20 per cent of diagnoses in 2019 involving patients under the age of 55 — roughly double the figure recorded in 1995.
Key Symptoms to Watch For
In his video, Dr Mezher first shared a clip from an NBC News segment. It stated: "A new study says the rate of rectal cancer is increasing more than two to three times compared to colon cancer. If the trend continues, rectal cancer deaths will exceed the number of colon cancer deaths in people under age 50 by 2035." He then commented: "Colon and rectal cancers are not just diseases of older people."
So what should you be looking out for? I'm Dr Sermed Mezher. Let's look at the facts." He went on to say: "You may have heard a doctor say at some point, 'You're too young to have cancer', and it is true that most cancer cases will be in older adults over 65, but it is also increasing in younger people and it's uncertain why."
Dr Mezher urged people to be aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer. He said: "It's important people know about these changes because recognising the signs can lead to an early diagnosis. And when colorectal cancer is in early-stage disease, the five-year survival rate is high at 95 per cent." He highlighted three symptoms that can appear on the toilet:
- Persistent blood in stool
- Changes in bowel habit
- A feeling that your bowels haven't emptied
However, he also said that unexplained weight loss and unexplained bloating can be signs. He said: "If you have these symptoms make an urgent appointment to see your doctor. And anyone who's eligible for bowel screening, do attend, as many people who get diagnosed with bowel cancer were eligible for screening and didn't and then regretted it later."
NHS-Listed Symptoms
The NHS lists symptoms of bowel cancer as:
- 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
You should see your GP if you have any symptoms of bowel cancer for three weeks or more.
