Mum-of-two Bronwyn was only 26 years old when she was diagnosed with bowel cancer, and has now shared a list of symptoms for people to look out for as cases among younger people rise
A 26-year-old woman going through chemotherapy to treat her bowel cancer has revealed the top symptoms people should look out for, as she had no idea about any health issues before her diagnosis.
Every year, over 44,100 people in the UK get diagnosed with bowel cancer, as cases continue to rise, especially for younger people between 25 and 50, Cancer Research UK has revealed. In total, over 54% of these cases were preventable, as 28% of cases were due to the patients not eating enough fibre. While bowel cancer has often been referred to as an illness that older people are more likely to get, more and more younger people are being diagnosed in recent years.
In the UK, 94% of bowel cancer cases are diagnosed in people over 50, with incidence rates peaking in the 85-89 age group. While bowel cancer can affect any age, a concerning rise in cases in younger adults (under 50) has been observed, though the overall number remains low compared to older age groups.
Taking to TikTok, 26-year-old Bronwyn, who is a mum-of-two, is currently in the middle of her cancer treatment after having been diagnosed with bowel cancer. Sher is now sharing some lesser-known signs of bowel cancer as she urges people to get checked.
“So I was 26 and I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. 26 is so young,” she said, before explaining that the diagnosis had come as a shock, as there were no family history of bowel cancer and that she was medically fit and well before her diagnosis.
“And there are just some signs and symptoms that I wish I’d known about before being diagnosed, because maybe then I would have pushed my GP further,” she said. “Because, obviously, you are never too young to get bowel cancer.”
What are the symptoms for bowel cancer?
“So the many symptoms to look for is blood in your poo or blood when your bum after going for a big fat poo,” she explained. “It doesn’t have to be a big fat poo, it can be any kind of poo.”
She went on to say that you should also look out for any changes in your bowel habits, such as going more frequently or going less frequently. You might also be experiencing persistent tummy aches, or feeling bloated more often.
After struggling to come up with more symptoms, blaming her ‘chemo brain’ she went on to reveal: “Feeling fatigued, I don’t know if I said that one, but yeah, that’s another sign.
“The other one that I was not aware of is a change in your poo’s shape,” she continued. “So, long thin pencil poos, I don’t mean they have to be like proper pencils, but thinning of your poos can also be a sign of bowel cancer. And obviously, if you’re just feeling that something is off, go and see your GP.”
She went on to say that you have any of these symptoms, that you should also go and see your GP, especially if they persist. She also went on to urge all people over the age of 50 to do their fit tests when they get them, even if you don’t think anything is wrong.
According to the NHS, the main signs of bowel cancer are having any changes in your poo or poo habits, having blood in your poo, bleeding from your bottom, tummy pains, or feeling a lump in your tummy.
Having any of these symptoms doesn’t mean that you have bowel cancer, but it’s still important to get it checked out by your GP.