This Is Another Unexpected Colon Cancer Sign That Doctors Urge People To Ignore

With the increase in young people being diagnosed with stomach cancer, it is natural to be afraid of this disease.

Colorectal cancer rates in people under the age of 50 have been increasing since the 1990s, according to Dr. Michael Cecchini, co-director of the colorectal program at the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers and an oncologist at the Yale Cancer Center.

The exact reason why prices are increasing is not known. Experts “think it’s something lifestyle and environment, but really, we don’t know,” Cecchini said. Researchers are investigating the possibility. At this point, it’s important to stay vigilant about colorectal cancer ― even at a young age.

Part of this is knowing the warning signs. And there’s one shocking sign in particular that’s getting attention on social media: pencil-thin poop.

As one TikTok user explained on the platform, she noticed that her stools were thinner than usual, along with other red flag symptoms like unexplained weight loss and diarrhea. He thought he had irritable bowel syndrome, so he didn’t go to the doctor at first. When he did, he was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer.

Here’s what experts have to say on the matter:

Narrow stool can be a red flag.

Doctors will sometimes see patients with “stools that are very thin, or pencil-like in thickness and size, which is a description that some patients with colorectal cancer will have,” Cecchini said.

This usually happens when tumors are present near the end of the colon or are located in the inner part of the colon, which shortens any passing stool, Cecchini explained.

Healthy stool should be long and sausage-shaped, according to Medical News Today, and come out as one piece or several small pieces. The main concern is that thin stools are a new and persistent change, said Dr. Jeffrey Dueker, a gastroenterologist at UPMC and associate professor of gastroenterology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

According to Dueker, any visible changes in your gut could be a red flag (but, he stressed, it’s not. all the time a sign of colon cancer). In addition to changes in stool shape or consistency, this may include going to the bathroom more or less often.

Pencil-thin poop is one of the few symptoms of colon cancer. “If there is, it has a lot to do with it,” Cecchini said. “It’s not one of the symptoms of the disease.” The most common symptoms are blood in the stool and abdominal pain. Unexpected weight loss is another symptom. And some cases of colon cancer have no symptoms at all.

If you see any symptoms, you should tell your doctor.

You should never underestimate your symptoms, Cecchini said, if you notice blood in your stool, persistent abdominal pain, changes in bowel movements, or unexplained weight loss, it’s important to tell your doctor.

“It’s easy in young people to think, ‘Oh, it’s just hemorrhoids,’ or something like that … and it can be, but also those things can coexist,” Cecchini said. “Of course people have hemorrhoids and cancer, or it could be something else entirely.”

In general, getting a colonoscopy or other colorectal cancer screening is the best way to reduce your risk or catch it in the early stages. You can be “diagnosed with a colonoscopy or a stool-based test,” Cecchini said. Talk to your doctor to determine the best test for you.

For most people, screening begins at 45. But if you have any of the symptoms mentioned above or meet other criteria, you may be eligible for a colonoscopy before age 45, Dueker said.

“Anyone who has a first relative – mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter – who has had colon cancer, especially if that person is diagnosed before the age of 50, is at high risk of colon cancer because of that family history, and they should talk to their doctor about when they should start getting colonoscopies,” Dueker explained.

If you’ve had an inflammatory bowel disease or radiation treatment to the pelvic or abdominal area, if you have other genetic syndromes or a history of colon cancer, you may also want to get a colonoscopy before age 45, Dueker said.

Suffice it to say, it’s important to keep your doctor informed of your medical history and any potential side effects you may be experiencing. But even if you should take all this seriously, you should not panic either.

“All these symptoms don’t necessarily mean … you have colon cancer,” Dueker said. Instead, they may mean that a colonoscopy is necessary to determine what is going on. And when the reason he could be it cancer or precancerous polyp, detecting this disease early is the best way to cure it.

“It is important to catch cancer early through screening or to be aware of some of the … “We still treat the majority of people with this cancer every year.”This story first came out HuffPost.