A GP and social media doctor revealed his advice regarding bowel cancer symptoms may have 'saved' a followers life.
Bowel cancer appears to be on the rise amongst younger people, with recent studies shared by Cancer Research UK revealing a worrying increase in individuals between the age of 20 and 50 receiving a diagnosis from the disease.
Bowel cancer symptoms to be aware of
Although doctors aren't completely sure what is causing the rise in bowel cancer amongst younger people, health experts are calling for greater awareness about the warning signs for individuals in the 20 to 50 age bracket.
Guidance from Bowel Cancer UK outlines symptoms of bowel cancer as including:
- bleeding from your bottom
- blood in your poo
- a change in your pooing habits. You might be going more or less often, or have diarrhoea or constipation that might come and go
- losing weight but you’re not sure why
- feeling very tired all the time but you’re not sure why
- a pain or lump in your tummy
The charity notes that while these symptoms don't always mean that you have cancer, but stresses that anyone who experiences unexplained changes to their stools should seek further advice from a GP.
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One doctor who often shares advice on warning signs to be aware of is GP and social media personality Dr Karan Rajan, who recently revealed how a TikTok video of his had led to a follower being diagnosed with the disease.
Sharing a screenshot from a message he'd received, the follower explained how one of Dr Rajan's videos had 'literally saved my life'.
"I've been diagnosed with bowel cancer even though the NHS screening test [offered to people aged 55 and up] came back clear... I went to my GP because one of your videos where you said never to ignore chances in your bowel habits," the message read.
"From there a colonoscopy picked up a 60mm tumour, so if it wasn't for you, I never would have bothered. So thank you, thank you, thank you, you are literally my life saver."
Dr Rajan went on to add that he'd shared the message with permission from the follower and reiterated the importance of seeking medical attention for any changes to your bowel habits. He also shared a follow-up video on the subject, which detailed what rectal bleeding caused by cancer will look like in comparison to other conditions.
He isn't the only medical expert urging young people to get themselves checked out either, with Dr Marco Gerlinger, a scientist at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, telling the charity that rising diagnoses in younger people should be a 'call to action' for doctors.
"These results are a call to action to raise awareness among staff in GP practices and hospitals to consider bowel cancer as a diagnosis when young people come to them with pain, changes in bowel habits or blood in their stool," he said in a statement.
Brenna Cooper