Colorectal cancer is on the rise in young people. “This is a medical crisis,” Dr. Ben Schlechter, a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said. “This is not something that should be ignored.”
An article at NBC News reports,
Colon cancer symptoms can be vague, including fatigue, abdominal pain, bloating and unexplained weight loss. Rectal cancers are often accompanied by bright red blood on toilet paper or in the toilet bowl and a real urgency to use the bathroom even after a bowel movement.
Any noticeable differences in bowel function should be checked out, Schlechter said. “If things are different, you should really see a doctor and ask explicitly, ‘Could this be colon cancer? I hear it’s happening in young people.’”
Take for instance the 35 year old marathon runner, he was fit and healthy, then found out he had colon cancer.
“I thought I was just training too hard and it was ruptured hemorrhoids or something,” Johnson told Verywell Health.
The article goes on to say, “Johnson underwent a colonoscopy two weeks after running the marathon. Right after the procedure, the doctor told John that he may have a cancerous mass in his rectum. A biopsy confirmed this suspicion, and at age 35, Johnson was diagnosed with stage 2 colorectal cancer.”
“I was really mad that this was happening to me. For about two weeks, I thought, ‘I eat healthy. I’m a vegetarian. I work out. I’ve done everything I could to avoid this in a way, and then I still got cancer,’” Johnson said.
Unfortunately, stories like this are becoming more common. Which is why it is so important to know the signs of colorectal cancer and take precautions, like getting checked regularly.
When detected early, colorectal cancer is highly curable. Eating healthy and regular exercise, doesn’t eliminate the risks of getting colon cancer.