Colon cancer: Bailey (24) has to burp constantly – then doctors make a shock diagnosis

“I wouldn’t have thought so in a million years.” When Bailey McBreen began burping frequently in October 2021, she initially gave little thought. Even when she discovered in February 2022 that she was suffering from severe reflux, she wasn’t overly worried like the British „Sun“ says. She doesn’t worry until the following January – because from then on she suffers from excruciating pain, can no longer go to the toilet and no longer has an appetite.

Shock diagnosis: stage three colon cancer

The 24-year-old is a nurse herself and initially suspects a kind of constipation. Only a CT scan finally brings clarity – and the shock diagnosis: Bailey suffers from cancer. Colon cancer, stage three. The first sign of this: she tells other media about the frequent burping that started years ago. She “never thought it could be linked to such a terrible disease.”

Frequent burping is not a classic warning sign of colon cancer – Bailey’s doctors say so too. Instead, it is probably related to the so-called gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as GERD. This is a disease of the digestive tract characterized by chronic backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus (reflux). “GERD was a symptom in my case because my tumor was slowly causing a complete bowel obstruction.”

Colorectal cancer warning sign

Blood in the stool is a clearer warning sign. That explained Berndt Birkner to FOCUS online. The internist with a focus on gastroenterology is a member of national and international gastroenterological societies, works voluntarily for the Felix Burda Foundation, among others, and received the Federal Cross of Merit in recognition of his services to quality management in medical care and early detection of colon cancer.

If blood becomes visible in or on the stool when you go to the toilet, this is an important warning sign that you should have checked out. Three other symptoms that are warning signs and make a colonoscopy urgently needed because they can be related not only to cancer but also to an intestinal obstruction are:

• stool retention
• unexplained vomiting
• or severe abdominal pain.

This does not mean that the symptoms mentioned are always signs of cancer. Clarifying them is important nonetheless.

Colorectal cancer is affecting more and more young people

The fact that colon cancer also affects young people like Bailey has become increasingly common in recent years. “There is no one too young for colon cancer,” emphasizes the Felix Burda Foundation. Young people in particular often thought that blood in their stool was caused by harmless haemorrhoids and that things will go away on their own, emphasizes Birkner. “But we are seeing an increasing number of rectal carcinomas, i.e. rectal cancer, particularly among people under the age of 50, who are not yet entitled to a screening colonoscopy.”

The numbers also speak a clear language. The Felix Burda Foundation summarized them for Germany:

• Around 61,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer each year, a good third of which affect the rectum.
• Around 24,600 people die from this cancer every year.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in Germany after breast cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death, after lung cancer and before breast cancer.

Bailey is undergoing chemotherapy

As Bailey reports on her Instagram profile, she has been undergoing chemotherapy since the diagnosis. There and up Tik Tok she takes her several thousand subscribers with her in her everyday life, talks about her illness and the treatment. She posts videos, such as “Come with me to chemotherapy.” And also others who give hope, like: “Positive things that have happened to me since I was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer.”

Note: The Felix Burda Foundation, like FOCUS Online, belongs to Hubert Burda Media.