Any experts - bowel cancer in kids

[Justwingingit2005]

Hey all

Does anyone know anything about bowel cancer is kids. Looking for some reassurance.

My 12 yr son has had rectal bleeding on and off for the last few days. It's not in his poo. It's on the tissue after. It's bright red.
Hes also going an extra time during the day, but that started after he noticed the blood.

Tonight he seemed quiet and he told me he's googled and he's worried its bowel cancer. He's really upset tonight.

I know BW is typically an older person illness (it can and does happen in young people) but what about children?

I've told him the chance of it being BC are very very tiny but he's in a proper state now.

I have spoken to the GP, and we have a follow up appt Monday. Would I be reasonable to tell her how worried he is?

Please do.
It's so unlikely to be BC but he may need some mh support until he gets a dx

Definitely tell them how worried he is so they can reassure him. Cancer at any age is always a very small possibility but at his age bowel cancer would be incredibly rare. Far more likely to be a small tear caused by constipation or at worst possibly colitis or crohns - although this would usually present with more blood and blood in the stools (I have a very strong family history of bowel cancer - all relatives had / have it - and my Mum and Uncle have Crohn’s disease). I hope he gets some support and treatment at the doctors and feels better.

Far more likely to be piles if it’s bright red blood. I’d have thought bowel cancer in kids would be vanishingly rare.

Could he be a bit constipated/ have piles? It's so much more likely to be something like that than bc.

It’s likely hemorrhoids- look that up, tell him about it, and arrange to get medical appointments. But reassure that he likely has theses instead

Never heard of bowel cancer in a child so think it's quite rare. Also if the blood is bright red it probably isn't internal bleeding. Much more likely to be a fissure or piles.

Poor mite. Definitely tell the GP how worried he is. I have no idea of bowel cancer rates in kids but would say it’s much more likely to be piles or a small fissure.

I work in children's cancer and have never seen a child with bowel cancer.

Much more likely a fissure,

It'll be a fissure.

It's so very very unlikely to be bowel cancer. Far more likely to be a fissure or piles. It could also be crohns or colitis but there's usually other symptoms with those- diarrhoea, vomiting, weightloss and bloating.

I'm a paediatrician. I've been looking after children for over 20 years. I have seen loads of children with bright red blood on wiping. Not one of them had bowel cancer. I've seen it from constipation, from a fissure (from straining), from piles, even from inflammatory bowel disease (they had a lot of other symptoms as well). Not one of them had bowel cancer. In my whole trust (several hospitals) I know for a fact that in at least the last 10 years there has not been a single case of bowel cancer in a child.