Warning signs of early-onset cancer to look out for as cases surge among Gen Z

There is a cancer that is rapidly becoming a problem among Gen Z, and there are a lot of symptoms which can be easily missed.

You’re never too young to get cancer, and that’s a thought that scares even the most hardened individuals.

But while many cancers tend to develop over years and are formally diagnosed in your mid-to-later years, this cancer is showing a sharp rise in the under-30s age group.

Colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer or colon cancer, is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, and approximately 44,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

Colorectal cancer occurs when tumours grow in the large bowel, but it can spread to the rest of the body if left untreated, which is known as metastasis.

Sadly, 16,808 people died from bowel cancer in the UK between 2017 and 2019, and those numbers may increase due to a variety of factors, such as our ultra processed food diet, and environmental factors.

There are a lot of cases which go unchecked until it’s too late, for which Frank Sinicrope, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and oncologist, said: “A lack of awareness about early-onset disease and its symptoms can contribute to a delayed diagnosis.”

But if you’re under the age of 45, you need to know these signs.

Here's what Dr Sinicrope said to see a healthcare provider if you experience any of the following symptoms of early-onset colorectal cancer.

Blood in your stool or rectal bleeding

Blood in your stool is one of the symptoms that ultimately sounds the alarm bells for many who go on to receive a diagnosis.

If you notice spotting, blood after wiping, or blood in your stool, you should book an appointment with your doctor to investigate its cause.

Dark-coloured stool

Your stool can tell you a lot about your health, which is why the Bristol stool chart was created, telling you what the colour and consistency of your bowel movements mean.

While it’s normal for your stool to fluctuate depending on what you ate in the day, what isn’t normal is black or tarry stool.

It is generally this colour and consistency because it contains blood which has been partially digested, as per Guts UK.

It’s considered a medical emergency.

Regular abdominal pain or bloating

Pain in your abdominal region or bloating could be a sign of colon cancer as this means that it has either spread, or the tumour is pushing on a nearby organ.

A change in your bowel habits or stool

If you begin to notice that you are going to the toilet more or less often, that you’re unable to pass stool fully, or feel as though you haven’t emptied your bowels after pooing, it might be good to get yourself checked out.

"Studies suggest patients with early-onset colorectal cancer have had a longer duration of symptoms and a longer delay in diagnosis than those with later-onset disease,” Dr Sinicrope said.

Dr Sinicrope advises that people opt for screening at 40 if they have a family history of colorectal cancers, but they should take an individualised approach based on history, and symptoms.