If you’re in yours 20s, 30s, or early 40s, you might think you’re too young to get colon cancer.
But rates are on the rise in people under 50, increasing 1.4% every year — to the confusion and alarm of health professionals.
Photographer and cancer survivor Lindsey Jayn is one of those head-scratching cases. She was diagnosed with colorectal cancer when she was only 39, and now she’s using social media platform to share the warning signs that she ignored in the hopes that it will convince others to not do the same.
While the recommended age to start routine colonoscopies is 45, some doctors are now urging patients as young as in their mid-20s to get tested, especially since younger people with colorectal cancer often seem to be in great health — and the delayed diagnosis means it’s usually quite advanced when they find out.
“The most common symptom of colorectal cancer in younger patients is actually no symptom at all. That’s the scary part,” Dr. Parul Shukla, a colon and rectal surgeon with Northwell Health, previously told The Post.
Jayn did have a handful of symptoms, but they all seemed harmless enough — until it was clear they weren’t.
In a TikTok video, she listed them out: irregular bowel movements, constipation, bloating and stomach pain.
Changes in bowel movements, abdominal pain, loose stool, bloating and constipation are common symptoms of colon cancer, but it’s all too easy to write them off as being due to stress, food allergies or a bad meal — especially if you feel well otherwise.
But Jayn says they’re worth getting checked out.
“If you have constant diarrhea and constipation going back and forth, go ask for a colonoscopy,” she said in another TikTok video.
She explained that getting the procedure is crucial because colorectal cancer is “something that’s only usually detected through a colonoscopy” as the tumor isn’t always visible on an X-ray or scan.
“You could be healthy, you could look fine, you could feel fine — like I did — and just think, ‘Oh, I just ate something that made me feel constipated,’ or ‘Oh, I have food intolerances,’” she said.
“If someone, for years, has regular bowel movements every day, and then all of a sudden they’re struggling to have a bowel movement,” that might be a warning sign of colon cancer,” Shukla said.
“Initially, they might blame it on foods they ate or lack of fiber. But if that is a consistent change from something which you had, then that should not be ignored.”
Jayn also urged viewers to not ignore rectal bleeding — another common warning sign that is easy to dismiss as hemorrhoids.
“If you have any blood in your stool, ever, go to the doctor, go to the hospital,” she said. “If they turn you away, go ask for a second opinion somewhere else.”
According to Shukla, if you see blood on your toilet paper when you wipe, it’s probably coming from very close to the anus — and it’s likely hemorrhoids
“But if there’s blood dripping into the bowl, if you are seeing a darkish blood coming out in the stool, that means the blood is coming for more proximal,” he explained.
Jayn aksi highlighted that your age doesn’t necessarily mean much, as she knows many people who are “so young” that have colon cancer — she herself has battled it twice.
“You could be young and have colorectal cancer,” she said. “I don’t care how old you are, if you are having symptoms of colorectal cancer, please book a colonoscopy.”
Jayn encouraged people to not let the shame and stigma of the procedure prevent them from getting the test.
“Yes, they’re going to stick a camera up your butt, yes, we can all laugh about how awkward that is, but go do it, it’ll save your life,” she urged.
Finally, she reminded everyone that a “cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence,” even if it’s in the advanced stages, but “you need to find out, you need to get checked.”
In addition to the physical effects, colon cancer can really take a toll on your mental health.
“When we think of cancer, we often focus on the big symptoms, but colorectal cancer comes with side effects that don’t always get the spotlight,” Dr. Cedrek McFadden, a colorectal surgeon based in South Carolina and medical adviser to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, previously told The Post.
“Anxiety and depression are common but not often discussed,” he said. “Speaking up about them can make a huge difference.”
