Although the colorectal cancer can affect all ages, from young people to adults, in recent times some researchers have found a worrying increase in cases among subjects who have less than 50 yearsi so much to speak of “early onset” of the disease. An important study conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute highlighted which are the alarm bells that must immediately request the opinion of a specialist doctor.
Here are the 4 alarm bells
The four signs that may indicate the onset of the disease are as follows:
- Abdominal pain: especially if it is persistent, it can be an important symptom. “It is advisable to pay attention to any cramps, sensations of bloating or discomfort that continue over time”, explain the experts of MicrobiologyItaly
- Bleeding: The presence of blood in the stool or in the anal tract can indicate a colon problem. Even with minimal traces, careful expert advice should be sought
- Diarrhea: if the episodes become frequent and persistent there may be a link with colon cancer as well as when long-lasting intestinal rhythm disturbances occur
- Low iron levels: Low levels of iron in the blood, i.e. iron deficiency anemia, can be another symptom of colorectal cancer. “Iron deficiency can cause fatigue, weakness and pale skin, among other symptoms. It is important to have a blood test to assess your iron levels and discuss the results with a doctor.” the microbiologists explain
What the study says
The research in question analyzed approx 5 thousand cases already diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the under 50s to understand what was the progress of the disease but above all the alarm bells starting from the previous two years up to three months before the definitive diagnosis. “Colorectal cancer is not simply a disease that affects older people; we want young adults to be aware of and act on these potentially very significant signs and symptomssaid study coordinator Yin Cao.
The researchers explained that the mere presence of one of the four symptoms mentioned above doubles the possibility that colon cancer is present: if there were two negative signs, the risk would be 3.59 times, which increases to 6.52 times with three symptoms out of four. “In this analysis we found that some young adults had symptoms of up to two years before of their diagnosis. This may be one reason why many of these younger patients had more advanced disease at diagnosis than we typically see in older people who are screened regularly.“, underlined the first signature of this research, Cassandra DL Fritz.
The importance of prevention
As we have seen above ilGiornale.it, it is of fundamental importance to adhere to prevention campaigns such as the one called “Step Up” which will last throughout the year. 2022 recorded, in Italy alone, 48 thousand new cases of cancer expected to increase this year but we are trying, in every way, to stem this important problem. When genetic factors do not contribute, maximum attention should be paid to the diet, avoiding alcohol abuse and smoking which exponentially increase the risk of seeing this tumor arise.