Unexplained long-term diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bleeding during bowel movements may be signs of early-onset colorectal cancer. The disease is increasingly seen in young adults who are ineligible for colonoscopies.
The most troublesome initial symptom is rectal bleeding. This is a possible sign of colon cancer and is not much discussed outside of the toilet.
said Matthew Caladay, Ph.D., director of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. “But the reality is that everyone deals with things like this,” he said, and it’s important to understand what’s normal and what’s not.
A new study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, published Thursday in the journal of the National Cancer Institute, included 5,075 patients with early-onset colorectal cancer.
The goal was to find symptoms that could indicate early signs of colorectal cancer, a disease that has seen a surge in young people in recent years, and a troubling number of people living in the advanced stages. Not diagnosed. American Cancer Societythe rate of colorectal cancer occurring in people under the age of 55 doubled from 11% to 20% from 1995 to 2019.
A new study found four different signals up to two years before diagnosis of colorectal cancer.
- stomach ache.
- rectal bleeding.
- Diarrhea continues.
- Iron deficiency anemia. Anemia is usually detected during annual blood tests.
Participants had at least one of these symptoms that began two years before diagnosis.
However, colonoscopy is only recommended after age 45. This means symptoms may appear long before you see a doctor or symptoms may appear long before you are diagnosed with colon cancer. Experts say it’s a treatable disease if detected early.
“As patients, we kind of brush off these things a little bit,” said study author Cassandra Fritz, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Gastroenterology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. .
Still, “these symptoms should startle you,” Fritz said. “See your doctor for further evaluation.”
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Nearly half of study participants had experienced at least one of these symptoms three months prior to diagnosis. The risk of being diagnosed with cancer increased as additional symptoms appeared.
The study highlights a “concerning issue” for young adults and the doctors who care for them, said another author of the study, an associate professor of surgery in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Yin Cao said. “We are sending a very clear message that young adults need to be aware of these symptoms.
Symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain are normal and temporary. Experts say that if such symptoms persist for more than a week with no known cause, he should see a doctor.
“What I tell my patients is that if the diarrhea goes away quickly, it’s probably nothing to worry about,” Fritz said. “But if you find it lasts for a few weeks or a month, you may need to discuss it,” tell your doctor.
Dr. William Dahat, chief scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, advises people to pay attention to early symptoms that may indicate a problem.
“If you ever feel something out of the ordinary, push a little harder for more diagnostic tests,” says Dahut.
