Red flag signs of colon cancer
Colorectal cancer happens when a growth of cells forms in the lower end of the digestive tract. Most of these cancers start as non-cancerous growths. Health care providers recommend screenings for those at high risk, typically older adults.
However, a new study has recognised 4 warning symptoms experienced by people under age 50, which are associated with an increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. While colon cancer usually happens in older adults, lately, colon cancer diagnoses in people under 50 are rising at an alarming rate.
What are these 4 symptoms?
In a time period of three months to two years before receiving a colon cancer diagnosis, researchers discovered that the patients reported 4 main symptoms – abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, diarrhea, and/or iron deficiency anemia. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
People under 50 are also at risk
“Colorectal cancer is not simply a disease affecting older people," senior investigator Yin Cao, ScD, an associate professor of surgery in the Public Health Sciences Division, and a research member of Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine said in news release, according to Health.
"We want younger adults to be aware of and act on these potentially very telling signs and symptoms," Cao added. "Particularly because people under 50 are considered to be at low risk, and they don’t receive routine colorectal cancer screening."
More the symptoms, more the risk
The researchers noted that the more symptoms a person had, the higher was their risk to get a colorectal cancer diagnosis. Having one symptom almost doubled a person's risk of the cancer, having two symptoms increased a person's risk by more than 3.5 times, and having three or more symptoms increased their risk of colorectal cancer by more than 6.5 times.
2 main symptoms to not ignore
Two symptoms in particular—rectal bleeding and iron deficiency anemia—indicate an urgent need for further screening, through endoscopy, Cao said in the news release, according to Health.
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When to see a doctor?
It is important to not ignore your symptoms or consider them as some not-so-serious or related to some non-cancerous disease by making assumptions, negligence or looking up your symptoms online. If you experience any of these red flag signs associated with colon cancer, you should see your doctor.
Read more: Who is at higher risk of B12 deficiency? Know symptoms of early stages of vitamin deficiency
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