Bowel Cancer in Young Adults

You are in your late 20s, 30s and 40s. Life is good, you are enjoying the social, travelling, the satisfaction from work successes, marriage, newborns, young family and the new challenges of adulthood of life. There is a lot at stake in the journey of life. Do not ignore the symptoms of rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea and altered bowel habits.

Emerging data shows that there is an increasing number of bowel cancer diagnoses occurring in people between ages 20 and 49. Contrary to the prescribed notion of doing a stool test to screen for bowel cancer at the age of 50, do not ignore the symptoms if you are younger!

Dr Terence Chua, Brisbane General and Colorectal surgeon, has personally observed an increasing number of younger patients that he has treated for bowel cancer in the last couple of years.

Although there are certain genetic conditions such as Lynch Syndrome and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis that are known to cause young onset colorectal cancer, the changing world we live in appears to contribute more towards young onset bowel cancer in patients who do not carry this genetic risk.

Toxins from foods we eat, gut bacteria, inflammation and environmental toxins may drive harmful mutation in cells of the colon and rectum. This leads to polyp formation and progression to cancer.

Come forward for a colonoscopy, this is a definite test and will allay any concerns if you have symptoms. Bowel cancer is very curable in its early stage. 

Dr Chua and his team adopt an aggressive surgical approach and will work with you to cure your cancer. A diagnosis of cancer is a mindset moment. You need the motivation, the encouragement, and the emotional and spiritual support to journey through the diagnosis through to treatment and recovery then to cure. It is about resilience. It is about your outlook. It is about positivity. Do it for yourself, your family and your loved ones.

If you have been worried and concerned with bowel symptoms and rectal bleeding or you have just been diagnosed with bowel cancer and are looking for a specialist surgeon who would understand your situation and journey with you in this season; Talk to your GP about a referral to see Brisbane Surgeon Dr Terence Chua. 

All patients with a new diagnosis of bowel cancer will be given an urgent same day or next day appointment to see Dr Terence Chua.