ROANOKE, Va. – In the wake of actor Chadwick Boseman’s death at just 43 years old after a four-year battle with colon cancer, a colon surgeon at Carilion Clinic is warning everyone to be aware of the symptoms.
Dr. Farrell Adkins is a colon and rectal surgeon and an assistant professor of surgery at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.
According to the CDC, colon and rectal cancers are among the leading causes of cancer deaths in the U.S. for men and women.
Adkins said that more and more younger adults under the age of 50 are coming down with the disease. On average, there has been a 2% increase in patients under 50 years old being diagnosed with colon cancer.
Symptoms include blood in the stool, changes in bowel function like irregular diarrhea or constipation, vague abdominal pain, unintentional weight loss, nausea and bloating.
Adkins said if you’re having any of those symptoms, don’t overlook them and get help right away.
“The best advice is not to be embarrassed about the symptoms that you may be experiencing and that you should feel comfortable talking to a physician about those symptoms,” said Adkins. “Because while it’s still rare in younger adults, the rates are increasing for colorectal cancers and early diagnosis is really important.”
People with a family history of colon cancer or other colorectal diseases, like IBS, should also consider getting a colonoscopy earlier than the recommendation of 45 years old.
“Patients may not recognize that they have a serious problem or may think that they don’t have other medical problems, so why would this be a problem? And it may also be under-recognized by healthcare providers,” said Adkins.
Adkins said that minority populations, including the African American community, are more at risk of developing colon cancer.