Doctor reveals crucial colon cancer self-check as cases surge for people under 50

With colon cancer steadily on the rise in young people, doctors and GPs all over the world are once again emphasising the importance of getting checked out if you fear you may be showing signs of the disease.

And interestingly, one medic has this week lifted the lid on a means of self-checking on your health from home, which can be used to tell you whether you're likely suffering from a minor rectal ailment, or the potentially life-threatening disease.

Worldwide cases of colorectal/bowel cancer in individuals aged between 20 and 30 have been gradually rising since the 1990s.

In the UK, this type of the disease has become one of the most common variations, and in the States, a 2019 case study found that 20 percent of colon cancer cases were in people younger than 55.

Taking to social media this week to discuss these alarming rates, NHS surgeon Dr Karan Rajan came across a video posted by a content creator who revealed they were previously diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, aged just 32.

In the video, the man - known as Colon Cancer Amigo - could be seen using a red marker pen to draw several dots onto some toilet roll, making it appear as though he'd endured a spatter of blood whilst going number two.

The TikTok star explained at the time that the tiny, bright red spots were how it looked when he recently wiped his behind while struggling with haemorrhoids - swollen blood vessels in the anus and rectum that are also known as piles.

A second segment to the video then saw the man emptying several hundred millilitres of dark red food colouring into his toilet, revealing that this is what his bathroom looked like after using the toilet just days before being diagnosed with cancer.

And while some users may have believed that the video had been created for dramatic effect, Dr Rajan has since reacted to the clip, explaining that one can actually check the severity of their rectal bleeding by referring to the colour of the blood.

"Blood from colon cancer is often dark red and maybe even black and tarry because it comes from higher up in the digestive tract, giving it more time to oxidise and darken," he explains.

"Bleeding from haemorrhoids is typically right red because these come from swollen veins near the anus or rectum."

Dr Rajan went on to add that the blood that comes from cancer can sometimes be mixed into the stool itself, giving the entire stool a darker and potentially streaked appearance.

"Whereas haemorrhoid blood usually appears on the toilet paper after wiping, on the surface of the stool, or even as drops in the toilet bowl, rather than being mixed into the stool," he continues.

"Think of it as a pizza topping rather than being baked into the dough."

According to the NHS, there are several other symptoms of colon cancer to keep an eye out for, including unusual diarrhoea or constipation, pain in the stomach, bloating, fatigue, or losing weight without attempting to.

However, there's another symptom of the potentially-fatal illness which GPs across the globe are particularly concerned about, being how overlooked they suppose it is.

A change in the shape of stools being released could also be a sign of cancer - particular in longer, thin, pencil-like bowel movements.

These types of stools could be a sign that the colon is narrowing or has a blockage, perhaps due to cancerous tumours.