A doctor has urged people to "make an urgent appointment" if they experience three specific symptoms while using the toilet. The warning follows new research showing rates of a particular cancer are rising sharply amongst younger people.
In a video shared on social media platform TikTok, Doctor Sermed Mezher highlighted the dangers of bowel cancer. Also known as colorectal cancer, the condition can affect both the rectum and colon.
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According to Cancer Research UK, around 48,000 new bowel cancer cases are diagnosed in the UK annually. That makes it the fourth most prevalent form of cancer in the country.
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In recent years, increasing rates of bowel cancer among young people have sparked significant concern within the medical community. One report, published in The Lancet, found that the disease is progressing more quickly amongst younger age groups than any other, with 20 per cent of diagnoses in 2019 involving patients under the age of 55 - roughly double the figure recorded in 1995.
In his video, Dr Mezher first shared a clip from an NBC News segment, which stated: "A new study says the rate of rectal cancer is increasing more than two to three times compared to colon cancer.
"If the trend continues, rectal cancer deaths will exceed the number of colon cancer deaths in people under age 50 by 2035." He then commented: "Colon and rectal cancers are not just diseases of older people.
"So what should you be looking out for? I'm Dr Sermed Mezher. Let's look at the facts." He continued: "You may have heard a doctor say at some point, 'You're too young to have cancer', and it is true that most cancer cases will be in older adults over 65, but it is also increasing in younger people and it's uncertain why."
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Symptoms
Dr Mezher urged people to be aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer. He said: “It's important people know about these changes because recognising the signs can lead to an early diagnosis.
“And when colorectal cancer is in early-stage disease, the five-year survival rate is high at 95 per cent.” He highlighted three symptoms that can appear on the toilet:
- Persistent blood in stool
- Changes in bowel habit
- A feeling that your bowels haven't emptied
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