Four red flag symptoms of 'silent killer' as cases double in young adults

04 May 2023 , 20:40

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As part of a study into shifting case patters, medics looked at the symptoms recorded in 5,075 people with early-onset colon cancer, diagnosed before their 50th birthday (Image: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)

Four red flag symptoms of colon cancer in younger adults have been revealed in a new study into the disease.

It comes amid a spike in cases in middle-aged people— with rates having doubled among under 55s since the 1990s.

As part of a study into shifting case patters, medics looked at the symptoms recorded in 5,075 people with early-onset colon cancer, diagnosed before their 50th birthday.

Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the study was based on health insurance claims submitted to IBM MarketScan Commerical Database — which covers more than 113million Americans.

Each patient with early-onset colon cancer was matched to someone who did not have the disease.

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Scientists then looked at patients' medical reports to check whether they had suffered any of 17 symptoms linked with colon cancer.

A pale coloring under the inside of the lower eyelids could be an important sign (Getty Images)

Four of the symptoms were normally ongoing, the scientists said and included iron deficiency anaemia which can be diagnosed via blood tests, a pale colouring under the inside of the lower eyelids or having unusually pale or yellow skin.

Dr Yin Cao, a surgeon at Washington University said it was important not to think of colon cancer as "simply a disease affecting older people".

She added: "We want younger adults to be aware of and act on these potentially very telling signs and symptoms."

"[This is] particularly because people under 50 are considered to be at low risk and they don't receive routine colorectal cancer screening."

Feeling weak or fatigued could be a sign of colon cancer related anemia (Getty Images)

Dr Cao added: "Since the majority of early-onset colon cancer cases have been and will continue to be diagnosed after symptom presentation, it is crucial to recognize these red-flag signs and symptoms promptly and conduct diagnostic work-up as soon as possible.

"By doing so, we can diagnose the disease earlier, which in turn can reduce the need for more aggressive treatment and improve patients' quality of life and survival rates."

Bowel cancer screenings on the NHS are supposed to take two weeks to develop, although recent data showed were waiting over a year to be screened or get their results due to a current backlog in waiting times.

Abigail O'Leary