Bowel cancer is considered to be the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with around 42,900 new people diagnosed with the condition every year. The symptoms of the potentially deadly condition can overlap with other less serious health problems, but it’s important to get any suspicious changes checked.
A gastroenterologist has stressed it’s crucial to recognise warning signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, and talk to your doctor.
The advice comes as a bowel cancer patient took to TikTok to outline the red flags he was ignoring.
The patient said: “A couple of times a week, after I would go to the bathroom, I would notice a tiny bit of blood on the toilet paper.
“And I honestly always just kind of brushed it off and put it off for way too long like months. But that was my biggest red flag for sure.”
Dr Joseph Salhab, a gastroenterologist, explained that rectal bleeding is often a symptom “that’s ignored”.
Speaking on his TikTok channel, he said: “While it can be due to multiple things, including haemorrhoids, or a fissure, which is a cut in your canal, you should always mention it to your doctor.
“It is one of the hallmarks of colorectal cancer.”
The bowel cancer patient explained that another key sign was abdominal pain when he would bend over.
He said: “I would have a dull ache in my bottom right portion of my abdomen. It wasn’t like a super savage pain, more like a dull ache.”
Dr Salhab shared that unexplained abdominal pain is “another important” symptom.
He said: “I know we all get aches and pains every now and then. Unexplained persistent abdominal pains that keep coming and keep going is definitely not normal and something that you should certainly bring up to your doctor.”
Another symptom that the patient experienced was going to the bathroom way too often. Dr Salhab shared that this is called a persistent change in bowel habits.
He said: “Sometimes, we all get constipated when we’re travelling or we get diarrhoea if we eat something we don’t agree with.
“I usually tell my patients that if it lasts longer than a week, then you should start talking to your doctor about it.”
The doctor added it’s important to be your own healthcare advocate and recognise warning signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer, so you can talk to your doctor about these symptoms.