Doctors Urge Bowel Cancer Screening at 45 as 1 in 3 Adults Miss Symptoms

2 articles · Updated · HuffPost · Jun 16

Medical providers say patients often dismiss bowel cancer warning signs as IBS, hemorrhoids or stress, delaying diagnosis until treatment is harder and outcomes worsen.
One in three adults cannot name a single bowel cancer symptom, doctors said, even though nearly 1.5 million people in the U.S. live with the disease.
Commonly missed signs include unexplained weight loss of 5 to 10 pounds, black or dark stools, rectal bleeding, and new constipation, diarrhea, bloating or pain.
Doctors said timing also matters: sudden-onset gastrointestinal symptoms or bowel changes lasting more than four to six weeks warrant medical evaluation, especially after age 45.
Current guidance already recommends colorectal cancer screening from age 45, reflecting rising incidence in younger adults and the disease's often quiet early stages.