Colon cancer has been among the fastest-growing cancers across the world. Even though it mostly occurs in those over 50 years of age, there has been an unprecedented rise in cases in younger people. Studies say the signs in youngsters are slightly different than typical patients with the disease.
New research has shown those diagnosed with the deadly cancer are more likely to know about it when the cancer has spread, perhaps because they dismiss the health changes and symptoms they had earlier. The new study – conducted by Taiwan’s Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, looked at 5,000 people with colon cancer. Six in 10 under-50s suffered rectal bleeding before being diagnosed with the disease, compared to fewer than half of over-50s.
Almost 60 per cent of youngsters with the disease also experienced changes in their toilet habits in the lead-up to or after a diagnosis, compared to 48 percent of older patients. Doctors say the differing signs among the old and young patients match completely. Symptoms like rectal bleeding, changes in bowel habits, and abdominal pain were more common in young people than in those over 50 years who are undergoing treatment for the disease.
What are the aggressive symptoms in younger patients? Researchers said their analysis showed a steady rise in early-onset colorectal cancer cases, with colon cancer increasing by 3.2 per cent and rectal cancer by 3.3 per cent.
Young patients with colorectal cancer have the most aggressive form of the disease like.