Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers. Over the course of a lifetime, doctors diagnose one in 19 women and one in 15 men. For a long time, colon cancer was considered a disease of old age. But it also affects young people. Most recently there was the tragic case of the actor James Van Der Beek known, who died at the age of 48.

“As someone who is younger than 50 years old and especially because the number of colon cancer cases in people under 50 is actually increasing, I am particularly sensitized,” said the doctor Derek Ebner to the news portal “Today.com“. This The trend applies primarily in the USA, less so in Germany. Still, it’s good to be vigilant at any age.

Colon cancer doctor pays attention to 2 “big” symptoms

Ebner works as a gastroenterologist at the internationally renowned Mayo Clinic in the USA. As a specialist in diseases of the organs of the digestive system, he is confronted with the harbingers and consequences of colon cancer every day.

To prevent this, he pays attention to, for example, a healthy diet and daily exercise. However, it is just as important to pay attention to early warning signs in order to detect the cancer before it spreads. “If it is discovered early, the chances of survival are excellent. For colon cancer in the early stages, the five-year survival rate is higher than 90 percent,” says the expert. He always keeps an eye on two of the “big” symptoms in particular.

1. Blood in the stool

Blood in the stool or in the anus in general is underestimated by many people, reports Ebner. “For me, as a person under 50, bleeding from the anus is something I pay a lot of attention to,” he explains. Younger people in particular should take this sign seriously.

In his practice, however, he often experiences that people affected by colon cancer do not do exactly that. “The scary thing is that many people assumed that they were only bleeding because of hemorrhoids,” explains Ebner. Therefore, they did not seek medical examination early enough.

You can pay attention to this:

• Bright red bloodwhich can be seen in toilet water or appears on toilet paper after wiping, should be cause to seek medical advice, according to Ebner.
• Streaks of blood on the surface of the stoolaccording to Ebner, can indicate that the source of bleeding is more likely to be in the lower part of the digestive tract. For example with hemorrhoids or a tumor in the rectum.
• Blood mixed in the stoolon the other hand, could indicate bleeding further up in the colon.

Ebner therefore advises not to ignore such changes. “If you see it, it’s best to inform your medical professionals and leave nothing to chance,” he says.

2. Abdominal pain

The second warning sign that Ebner pays particular attention to is abdominal pain. Especially when it comes to colon cancer, which occurs at a younger age, it often occurs on the left side of the abdomen, he explains.Today.com” – either in the left upper or left lower abdomen.

The pain could also appear as

• persistent malaise,
• feeling of pressure,
• feeling of fullness or
• Tightness in the stomach

make noticeable.

Those affected should be particularly careful if the pain increases with movement, adds Ebner. Then there could be a blockage in the intestines.

Symptoms are often inconspicuous

One of the reasons why colon cancer is often fatal is that it is discovered far too late. “Most people only think about cancer when they already have palpable lumps or severe pain,” explained the doctor Heidrun Thaiss in an interview with FOCUS online. But many symptoms would go under the radar for a long time.

So can, for example

• weight changes due to loss of appetite,
• sleep disorders,
• Fatigue,
• exhaustion
• and mild fever

indicate an illness. If such seemingly harmless complaints last longer than four weeks, they should be clarified.

Colon cancer prevention in Germany

According to Ebner, preventative care is also important, for example through stool tests or a colonoscopy. This starts in Germany statutory pension program for colon cancer from the age of 50. Women and men can then get information and advice about the existing options for early detection of colon cancer at their doctor’s office.

You can use these early detection methods:

• test on invisible or occult (hidden) Blood in the stool (immunological fecal occult blood test, iFOBT) – for patients aged 50 and over, health insurance companies cover the costs of this test every two years.
• Alternatively, patients can also apply directly for one Colonoscopy decide. Instead of the biennial stool test, it is possible to have two colonoscopies at least ten years apart.

If you decide against a second colonoscopy ten years after the first, you can alternatively have stool tests done. If stool tests are abnormal, you are always entitled to a colonoscopy for further clarification.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, says Ebner: “The best is what is done.”