I was diagnosed with colon cancer in my 30s. Here are the warning signs to look out for

A woman in her 30s diagnosed with cancer is warning others not to ignore early signs of the disease amid an epidemic of cases affecting young people.

Candace Henley, now 55, was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 35. Although cancer is often considered “the disease of old age,” experts warn that the average age of diagnosis is getting younger and younger.

Earlier this month, the American Cancer Society warned that diagnoses in people under the age of 55 have doubled in the past 25 years. The age group now accounts for one in five cases in the United States.

In response to this growing trend, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that Americans begin cancer screening at age 45 — lower than the previously recommended age of 50.

Following her diagnosis, Ms Henley now raises awareness of early stage colon cancer and encourages others to get checked if they experience early symptoms.

Henley (pictured) is warning other young people to get screened for cancer early so they can avoid the grueling treatment she underwent

“I wouldn’t ask [God] for something else, but in return I would do what I had to to save someone else from the trauma that me and my family are going through,” she told Good Morning America (GMA).

She said that at the time of diagnosis, she was in so much pain every day that she struggled to stand up.

“I couldn’t get up,” mrs. Henley said.

“Finally one of my cousins ​​said, ‘That’s it. We’re going there.’”

The colorectal cancer class includes many diseases that occur in the stomach or rectum.

It is the third most common cancer in men and women in the United States, behind breast and lung cancer in women and prostate and lung cancer in men.

More than 150,000 combined cases are diagnosed in the US each year, and the disease accounts for 50,000 annual US deaths.

The number of cases has remained stable over the past decade, with 147,000 cases diagnosed in America in 2010.

The treatable cancer is caught before it spreads, with 91 percent of people diagnosed in the earliest stages of the disease surviving at least five years.

But the risk of death increases exponentially as the disease progresses. Once it’s metastasized — when cancer spreads to other organs — and spreads to distant parts of the body, the survival rate drops to just 14 percent, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

This makes early colon cancer screening essential and means that people experiencing early symptoms should be tested as a matter of urgency rather than written off.

Terrifyingly, the disease is so severe that its early onset is often asymptomatic until it has reached a dangerous stage.

Ms Henley founded the Blue Hat Foundation in 2015 in the hope of raising awareness of this devastating disease and its early signs.

“We try to make sure we connect the patient with what they need,” she told GMA.

“I don’t want anyone to go through what I did,” she continued.

“Communities of color will be left behind in research if we don’t volunteer this time.

“We must do our part to improve our community’s health outcomes, and it is not enough to complain and wait. We need to be proactive, educate ourselves and make informed decisions about our health.”

Colon cancer cases have increased among adults aged 20 to 49. Scientists say more than 40 percent of diagnoses are made by people between the ages of 45 and 49.

What are the early signs of colon cancer?

blood in the stool

The most common early sign of colon cancer is blood in a person’s stool.

While damage to the rectum can sometimes cause blood in the stool, doctors recommend that anyone who regularly gets red in the toilet should be checked.

Because of the damage caused by cancer to the wall of the rectum, blood leaks into the stool.

These cancers usually start in the lining, the inner lining of the intestines.

Eventually, as it grows, it reaches the wall of the rectum and begins to indent it.

This can cause tears in the rectal wall, causing a small amount of blood to mix with the stool as it passes.

Sometimes blood causes the stool to turn a very dark color rather than red, as doctors warn that this too should not be overlooked.

Change in bowel habits

A seemingly harmless sign of colon cancer is a sudden change in how often a person goes to the bathroom.

Someone suffering from the disease may suddenly go to the toilet less often.

You may also suffer from persistent constipation or diarrhea. Another common sign is “pencil-shaped” stools, which are narrower than usual.

This happens because the cancer changes the shape of a person’s rectal passage.

As it grows, it pushes against the wall and narrows a person’s rectum. This makes it more difficult to go to the toilet and can also cause a person to use it less often.

Cold hands and feet

Mystery of the colon cancer epidemic among young people: The numbers have doubled among 55-year-olds

The ACS has warned that more cases will be diagnosed when cancer has spread to other parts of the body

A sign that people may not have colon cancer is if they suddenly get colder hands and feet.

People who have cancer often develop anemia, a condition in which there are not enough oxygen-rich red blood cells in the body.

Colon cancer patients are constantly and unknowingly losing blood through their rectum—often with their stools.

This depletes the body’s stores and can lead to problems.

The lower blood supply means less circulation around the body, and the extremities – the hands and feet – end up getting less blood than they should.

As a result, colorectal cancer patients usually suffer from cold fingers and toes.

stomach ache

The growth of a tumor in a person’s stomach or rectum often causes pain.

Doctors have described the pain associated with colon cancer as dull and constant.

As the cancer grows, it presses against a person’s organs, bones, nerves and other tissues, causing pain.

This is typical of all cancers, as the growth of a tumor begins to disrupt the rest of the body’s processes.

Abdominal pain is one of the most obvious signs of cancer, and doctors will immediately tell patients experiencing this persistent pain to get checked.

weight loss

As cancer grows in a person’s body, cells begin to release toxic metabolic waste. This applies to almost every cancer.

In the case of colon cancer, it can disrupt the way the body processes food for energy and speed up a person’s metabolism. This means they can burn more calories every day and shed pounds quickly.

The cancer cells also eat the body’s fuel and burn even more calories. While a person may not know they have a tumor, their immune system does and activates to fight it.

This process also burns valuable energy supplies.

Tumor growth in the colon can also block the stomach, preventing a person from eating as much each day.

For the same reasons, many colorectal cancer patients also report severe fatigue.