Various reasons for this have been suggested by front-runners in cancer research – including the global obesity pandemic, which links high body fat to cancer risks, and the fact young people are less likely to follow up any symptoms with their GP.
What are the symptoms of bowel ca.nc.er?
A change to your bowel movements, or finding traces of blood in your stools are often among the most common signs of can.ce.r in this area of the body.
However, The NHS adds that unusual diarrhoea or constipation, pain in the stomach, fatigue, bloating, or losing weight without attempting to could also be seen as indicators of cancer.
Yet, as we say, there’s another symptom of the potentially-fatal illness which GPs across the globe are particularly concerned about, being how overlooked they suppose it is.
There are several alarming symptoms of bowel cancer (Ekaterina Demidova/Getty)
Speaking to HuffPost this week, Dr Michael Cecchini – medical oncologist at Yale Cancer Center – revealed that lengthy, thin stools are often an indication of something sinister behind the scenes.
“This tends to occur if tumours are present near the end of the colon or if they line the entire inside of the colon, which narrows whatever stool passes through.”
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Cecchini – who is also co-director of the colorectal program at the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers – went on to emphasise: “When it exists, it is highly concerning.”
These types of stools could be an indicator that the colon is narrowing or has a blockage – both of which could be caused by the presence of ca.nc.er in the body.
Doctors say all potential bowel cancer symptoms should be checked out (Kinga Krzeminska/Getty)
According to gastroenterologist Dr Jeffrey Dueker – who works as an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine – healthy stools should appear sausage-shaped, as opposed to pencil-like.
He added that they should either be expelled in one single piece, or in several small pieces.
Additionally, the medic emphasised that any changes to someone’s bowel movements – including frequency of bathroom visits, or changes to the shape/consistency of a stool – should be addressed by a professional.
However, Cecchini concluded that – whether you believe these changes to be serious or not – early diagnosis and treatment of bowel cancer is always key.
“It’s important to catch cancer early through screening or alerting to some of these symptoms so that we diagnose cancer at an earlier stage,” he explained.
“Where it’s more treatable and hopefully curable. We still cure the majority of people with this cancer every year.”
