Learning About Bowel Cancer
- Nick Summerfield is on a mission to fundraise for bowel cancer research and educate others about the disease after beating bowel cancer earlier this year.
- The symptoms that led to his diagnosis at age 33 were looser stools, constipation, diarrhea and blood in his stool.
- Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel, but generally we use the term colorectal cancer in the United States.
- One of our experts emphasizes the importance of colorectal cancer screenings such as colonoscopies because most colorectal cancers can be prevented early with screening.
- Possible symptoms of bowel cancer to look out for include a change in bowel habits, a feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that's not relieved by having one, rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, cramping or belly pain, weakness and fatigue and unintended weight loss.
In a first person essay for Metro UK, Summerfield, and Airbnb rental manager, details his bowel cancer journey from the start of his symptoms.
Read MoreAs someone that had always been pretty much as regular as 'clock work' when it came to going to the toilet and having never suffered any problems beforehand, this was really unusual for me,” he wrote. “But I brushed it off.”
Then, in January, his symptoms progressed. He started seeing blood in his stool, and his mother urged him to contact his doctor.
“My doctor and I spoke about how it was probably just something common like piles and that a cream or medication would sort the issue, agreeing that it wouldn't be anything serious,” he wrote. “'Phew!' I thought to myself.
“But to take the usual precautions, the GP booked me in for a colonoscopy a few days later to check what was going on up there.”
That colonoscopy changed Summerfield’s life.
“I was asked to join the doctor in the family waiting room, so we were in a private space as I was told, 'This looks like cancer,'” he wrote. “A million things instantaneously rushed through my head: 'How could I have cancer? What are my friends and family going to say? What will work say? What is my life going to be like now? I'm 33 years old. Only old people get bowel cancer, right?'
“Wrong.”
After a CT scan, MRI, sigmoidoscopy a test that looks at the rectum and lower part of the large intestine, and biopsies, his bowel cancer diagnosis was confirmed. Summerfield had a cancerous tumor “the size of a golf-ball” that was close to attaching to his bladder.
“In the space of a few hours, I went from being Nick, the health conscious, night-out-loving guy who loved spending time with friends and family, to Nick the critical cancer patient, about to undergo a six-week course of daily radiotherapy and oral chemotherapy,” he wrote.
Thankfully, the treatments worked and he was able to have surgery to remove his tumor once it had shrunk. But that doesn’t mean the fight got any easier. After his operation, Summerfield had to adjust to life with a stoma bag he called 'Zippy.' A stoma is the opening in your abdominal where your colon is redirected to after a colostomy surgery. After this type of procedure, the colon expels stool through your stoma instead of your anus.
Summerfield also struggled with the emotions that came from his cancer journey.
“Pandemic restrictions at the time meant that it was already difficult to physically meet with friends and family,” he wrote. “With an added layer of chemotherapy and a more reduced immune system, it meant I really couldn't see anyone. It made a difficult time even more upsetting, but I focussed all my energy into getting through my treatment. ”
More tests after his surgery showed that there were cancerous cells in his blood vessels meaning that he would need an additional six months worth of chemotherapy. Fortunately, the extra chemo paid off and Summerfield was able to have his stoma bag removed in March 2022.
And despite having a later scare to deal with, he was told he was cancer-free in April. He’ll have to have another set of scans and a colonoscopy in July, and then he’ll have a full body scans every six months as well as an annual colonoscopy.
“I couldn't believe it,” he wrote. “I had beaten cancer.
“But not everyone is so lucky.”
Summerfield then went on to explain that man people believe the misconception that bowel cancer is “an old person's disease.”
“I never in a million years dreamt this would ever be my story,” he wrote. “But it turns out that young people get bowel cancer.
“That's why I'm on a mission to raise awareness that bowel cancer can affect people of all ages and that we should all be checking our poo.”
In keeping with his mission, Summerfield has been fundraising for Worldwide Cancer Research which aims to fund “visionary, pioneering researchers to develop groundbreaking treatments that will help end cancer.”
Understanding Bowel Cancer
Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel, but generally we use the term colorectal cancer or colon cancer or rectal cancer depending on the location of the cancer in the United States.
Bowel cancer, like all cancers, presents its own unique challenges for patients on the road to recovery. But Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist and colorectal surgeon at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, wants to remind people how far the treatment of this disease has come.
"One of the most exciting things about my job is that we've made a lot of progress on treatment options," Dr. Yeo says in a previous interview with SurvivorNet. "However, patients are still while they're living longer, they are still living with colon cancer, and so I think it's really important that we talk about how some of the things in your life affect you."
Symptoms of Bowel Cancer
Colorectal (bowel) cancer might not immediately cause symptoms, but these are possible symptoms to look out for:
- A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool that lasts for more than a few days
- A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that's not relieved by having one
- Rectal bleeding with bright red blood
- Blood in the stool, which might make the stool look dark brown or black
- Cramping or abdominal (belly) pain
- Weakness and fatigue
- Unintended weight loss
It is important to note, however, that displaying some of these symptoms does not mean you have colorectal cancer. You could also have colon cancer and not display any of these symptoms. Regardless, it is important to bring up any symptoms to your doctor should they arise.
Screening for Bowel Cancer
Dr. Yeo also reminds people of the importance of colorectal cancer screenings such as colonoscopies because most colorectal cancers can be prevented early with screening.
"In the United States, on a national level, colorectal cancer has been decreasing for the last 20 years," Dr. Yeo says. "And much of that is thought to be directly due to screening for colon cancer."
"You Shouldn't Die From Embarrassment": Colon Cancer Can Be Prevented
Even still, colorectal cancer cases are rising among younger people. And in the United States alone, rates have increased every year from 2011 to 2016 by 2 percent among people younger than 50. Because of this increase, the United States Preventive Services Task Force has recently updated its colorectal cancer screening recommendations to begin at age 45 instead of 50.
"We know that colon cancers can be prevented when polyps are found early," Dr. Yeo said. "Lowering the screening age helps somewhat with this. But access to care is a real problem."
And increasing access is crucial to making sure that we don't see racial disparities within the world of colorectal cancer. Whites and Asians are significantly more likely to be up to date with their colonoscopies than African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans.
RELATED: Why Do So Few Black Men Get Colon Cancer Screenings?
Research suggests that tailoring colon cancer screenings to each person's individual risk may be beneficial. If you are not yet 45 but have concerns about your risk, talk to your doctor. Ask about your individual risk based on your lifestyle and family history and find out when screenings would be right for you.
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