Colon cancer is commonly dubbed a “hidden cancer” due to a lack of symptoms in the initial stages, but with hindsight, many patients recognise that they did experience early warning signs.
The disease results from uncontrolled cells growing inside the colon and rectum. This can eventually cause discomfort and changes in bowel movements.
A cancer survivor who has documented his experience fighting colon cancer shared additional red flags on TikTok in a bid to raise awareness.
Joe was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer at age 29 after spotting his first symptoms while using the bathroom. He also noticed a slight discomfort in his abdomen when bending over.
Joe shared the early red flags he noticed
TIKTOK
Other signs he’d initially ignored, included constant sweating and night sweats, lower right abdominal pain, frequent bowel movements, slight abdominal cramping, constipation and blood in stool.
“I put these symptoms off for months before finally going to get a colonoscopy,” Joe noted.
Although blood is associated with cancer, it can also be a sign of bleeding from a colorectal polyp.
In Joe’s case, noticing blood on toilet paper following a bowel movement signalled an internal problem, eventually prompting him to get a colonoscopy.
“The first and biggest issue that I was facing after going to the bathroom was I would notice a tiny bit of red blood on the toilet paper,” he shared.
“I honestly always just brushed it off for months, but that was my biggest red flag.”
In the advanced stages of the disease, patients may experience pain as the tumour obstructs the passage of stool, causing an obstruction.
“When I would bend over I would have a dull ache in the bottom right portion of my abdomen, it wasn’t a stabbing pain but more of a dull ache,” shared Joe.
A dull pain in the abdomen is associated with cancer
GETTY
If a tumour obstructs the flow of stool the colon can become irritated, leading to incomplete evacuation.
In some cases, this may cause the body to try to pass stool more frequently to compensate for the blockage.
“One thing I should have paid attention to is that I was going to the bathroom way more than I should have, probably a couple of times a day,” noted Joe.
“Don’t risk your life by waiting to see a doctor. An early screening could save you and your family.”
