Rhiannon Ingle
A doctor has issued a series of warnings over 'pain-free' bowel cancer symptoms as cases surge among Gen Z.
The rates of bowel cancer, which is the fourth most common cancer in the UK according to Cancer Research, are rising in younger adults across the world with statistics showing that only one in every 20 cases in the UK happens in people under 50.
While the increase of cases has been dubbed a 'growing global phenomenon', it's important to note that 54 percent cases are preventable - hence why it's so important to be aware of symptoms early doors.
Dr Jack Ogden, a GP at The Lagom Clinic in Bristol, has shared with the Daily Mail which 'subtle' warning signs are 'often overlooked' - other than consistent and new diarrhoea and blood in the stool.
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"Awareness of these silent signs can save lives. Paying attention to subtle changes and acting promptly is the best defence against colon cancer," he said.
According to Dr Ogden, the first and 'commonly overlooked' sign is iron deficiency anaemia.
This can present as 'unexplained fatigue, pale skin or shortness of breath'.
The NHS describes iron deficiency anaemia as being caused by a lack of iron, often because of blood loss or pregnancy. It's treated with iron tablets and by eating iron-rich foods.
The condition means that the body doesn't have enough red blood cells to pump oxygen around the body and cause symptoms like chest pain, heart palpitations, headaches and dizziness.
This is due to the fact that tumours can bleed, causing iron loss and inflammation that produces a protein which interferes with iron absorption.
The doctor also notes that constipation, diarrhoea, or suddenly noticing narrower stools with no clear cause, is another key 'easy-to-dismiss' and subtle sign of bowel cancer.
Thin stools could indicate that a tumour is obstructing the colon, causing it to squeeze stool into a thinner shape.
The third sign, according to Dr Ogden, is losing weight without changing diet or exercising more.
Alarmingly, the doctor pointed out that this doesn't have to be sudden weight loss as it can also be subtle or gradual.
This weight loss can often be caused by increased metabolic demand, loss of appetite and tumours preventing the absorption of nutrients.
The fourth 'subtle' sign of bowel cancer, Dr Ogden says, is bloating and abdominal discomfort.
Such a symptom may present itself as 'persistent cramping' or feel full quickly after eating.
And the fifth sign is finding blood in your stool.
This may not always be as obvious a symptom as it may seem as the blood can be dark or hidden and only detectable via stool tests.
If stools are dark red or black it can be a sign that bleeding is taking place higher up in the bowel due to cancer, whereas bright red blood is most commonly caused by haemorrhoids (piles).
You can find out more about bowel cancer on the official NHS website here.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.