RED FLAG
The 4 signs of bowel cancer that mean it’s ‘too late’ – as doctor reveals cause of surge in young people being diagnosed
Plus, how to get tested
A SURGEON is pleading with younger generations to be more aware of the risks of bowel cancer after seeing more 20-something-year-olds being diagnosed with the "100 per cent preventable" disease.
Dr Mark Soliman has noticed a terrifying rise in younger patients being diagnosed with bowel cancer - also known as colon cancer.
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And with March being bowel cancer month, the 44-year-old doctor – who specialises in this area of medicine – is urging young people not to be embarassed about symptoms.
“Patients getting diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer are getting younger and younger,” said Dr Soliman, who recently launched SurgeOn, an app that acts like a social media platform for surgeons to share skills and advice with each other.
“I’m seeing patients in their mid-20s with aggressive cancer.
“As a surgeon, it is heartbreaking to witness because it is 100 per cent preventable.
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“But people are too embarrassed to talk to their doctor about their bowel movements or the colour of their stool."
A report published in the journal at the end of last year found rates of bowel cancer are rising among younger adults.
England was found to be one the countries with the biggest rise.
Every year more than 2,600 younger people are diagnosed with disease, according to Bowel Cancer UK figures.
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And Cancer Research UK says 54 per cent of bowel cancer cases are preventable.
Dr Soliman said he'd much rather inconvenience a patient with tests than treat them for cancer.
He added: “These days, more people live sedentary lifestyles.
“They exercise less, eat high-processed food diets, don’t get enough fibre and so on and so forth.
“It's not that far of a stretch to link these issues together with the rise in colon cancer among younger patients.”
Dr Soliman grew up in Tallahassee, initially studying pharmacy at Florida A&M University’s College of Pharmacy before being accepted to an accelerated medical school program at the University of Florida.
The bowel cancer body checks Deborah James wanted you to know
The dad-of-two is dedicated to fighting bowel cancer at the source and is campaigning to raise awareness throughout this month.
First signs of bowel cancer
While many people will ask for symptoms to look out for, the surgeon reveals that it's often too late once you start noticing them - but lists four to look out for.
He said: “The symptoms for colon cancer, unfortunately, are late.
“Those can be changes in bowel habits, whether it's in the feeling of increasing constipation, a change in the diameter of the stool, or rectal bleeding.
“Sometimes intense rectal pressure can be kind of a late-stage sign of rectal cancer, but these are all very vague.
“That's why it's so important to get screening exams like colonoscopy or some of the DNA tests or stool tests that we can get.”
The NHS says the main symptoms of bowel cancer to look out for are:
- 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
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Reducing your risk
Dr Soliman, who lives in Orlando, Florida, recommends regular exercise, a healthy balanced diet and cutting out smoking to prevent a bowel cancer diagnosis.
He says to avoid smoked meats that are often high in nitrates and have been linked to a rise in this type of cancer.
Dr Soliman added: “Patients who do work out and have a typically healthier whole food diet are at lower risk.
“All those things put you at a higher risk.
“It’s so important to talk about the stigma around colonoscopy and preps.
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"You don’t have to get this cancer.”
Getting tested for bowel cancer
In the UK, young people can get tested for bowel cancer by contacting their GP and asking for a "faecal immunochemical test (FIT)" kit, which is a home-based stool sample test used to check for blood in the stool, a potential indicator of bowel cancer.
If the test is positive, further investigations like a colonoscopy might be required to diagnose the cause of the bleeding.
People aged 50 and over can get a home test kit every two years to check for bowel cancer.
And people aged 75 and over can also request a test every two years.
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