"too young to have bowel cancer"

[DrPatient]

In October, I start having bloating, abdominal pain and rectal bleeding. I tried to put up with and from googling just assumed it was haemorrhoids and would resolve itself. Towards the end of November, the pain got excruciating over the course of a day and at about 2am one night I phoned 111. They advised me to go to A&E. I was in hospital for five days and they removed my appendix - but said it wasn't inflamed when they removed it. The pain, bloating and bleeding continued. I had a tonsillitis in February and, because I get it very often (always have and, I assume, always will) the GP wanted to check it wasn't something sinister. The blood test showed I have iron-deficiency anaemia so I'm on tablets for that.
It's obviously now July and I still have bloating, abdominal pain, bizarre squitsy bowel movements (I'm sorry, tmi) and bleeding. My granddad died from bowel cancer before I was born and my dad had it when I was a child.
My GP has said I'm too young to have bowel cancer and that it's "unheard of" at my age so she won't refer me for tests. I've just found a series of blogs on Bowel Cancer UK called "Never Too Young" that have plenty of people my age and younger who were diagnosed with bowel cancer, all have my symptoms and were all told by their GPs that they were too young to have bowel cancer. They're all advising to insist on getting tested but my GP flat-out refuses and is adamant that my symptoms are just stress related.
Has anyone else had these symptoms and it been stress related? Is there anything I can do?

I've phoned them again and demanded to be seen - they put me through to a different GP. She's asked for a blood test and a stool sample. She said that my results from when I was in hospital also showed I was anaemic and have poor liver function so she doesn't know why they didn't act on that.
@Soontobe60 When I was in hospital, A&E said my pain was either appendicitis or something wrong with my ovaries. They said if they couldn't see anything wrong with my ovaries they would remove my appendix. They did an ultrasound and said my ovaries were fine so put me on the list for an emergency appendectomy. Then they sent me home even though the pain, bleeding and all the other symptoms hadn't stopped.

Not sure how old you are but I am a hospice specialist nurse and believe me there are ppl in their early 30s with this disease! Press on. You need to be referred

I would definitely get checked for bowel cancer - you'ld be very unlucky but it should be checked and its really bad they have refused. You shouldn't need to go private. I find sometimes a different GP helps. When I had bleeding like that and was anaemic as well it took about a year to get a referral, it was clear but it never should have taken that long and it's very sad when you see people who weren't so lucky and it was cancer and they've probably gone up a stage due to being made to wait so long. I don't think you get bloating, bleeding or anaemia for stress / anxiety so they need to find the cause and its normal to be anxious going through tests.

@DrPatient glad you managed to find a GP to listen, hopefully you will get the help you need now

Hope you get the attention you need op. I know someone who was 30 when diagnosed. They were told that bleeding was due to piles several times. Also told they were too young.

I hope you are seen and hve this sorted OP. My friend is just recovering from bowel cancer and she had it in her late 20s . She was also told it was just anemia

Glad you’ve got a different dr and are getting investigated.

Please do read this: www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/how-we-can-help/real-life-stories/younger-people-with-bowel-cancer/bethany-purvis,-37-from-bishop%E2%80%99s-stortford/

I despair at how dismissive some GPS are! I have no medical training whatsoever and could have told you that there’s no such thing as too young especially when you have a family history of it.

www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/how-we-can-help/real-life-stories/younger-people-with-bowel-cancer/bethany-purvis,-37-from-bishop%E2%80%99s-stortford/

Damn - tried link twice!

It's not unheard of. I have sadly seen teenagers with it. It is rare but not unheard of.

I hope you have success with the new GP.

I know these things are very pricey but are you able to see a gastroenterologist privately and stick it on your credit card? This is what I did last year after getting no where with my gp. It cost me £150 which I really couldn’t afford but she was brilliant and for the first time I felt heard. She referred me back to the NHS where I had a gastro and colonoscopy, thankfully all was ok but I am so glad I had those procedures. I was also able to see the gastroenterologist the same week I enquired, I know that was pre-Covid but I am sure you could at least have a telephone or video consultation initially.

In the highest risk bowel cancer families, colonoscopy screening starts at 25. Ring your GP and tell them you are making a formal complaint about their lack of action. Also ask for referral to clinical genetics to assess your family history for HNPCC or FAP

The attitude of your GP is absolutely disgusting!

Absolutely push to see a different doctor and push for a referral. You shouldn’t have to live your life in worry because a doctor is ignorant, especially if you have family history of the disease.

The doctors dismissed my Dad for years with symptoms of ‘IBS’ he ended up changing doctors as his life was becoming unbearable. He was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and died 18 months ago, he has symptoms that were not investigated for over 3 years. I will never back down if a doctor dismisses symptoms again!

Fuck that I'd ring Pals.

It may not be cancer though, diverticulitis can be quite nasty and cause the symptoms you're describing. But you do need to be referred for a colonoscopy. Ring Pals if they won't take you seriously.

I would complain. That is terrible to treat a patient like that. Surely, your symptoms demand investigations! Who thinks bleeding, diarrhoea, pain, bloating, anaemia, is something you should live with??? Disgraceful.
I have (similar timeline) your symptoms and went to my gp- they referred me for a colonoscopy. Any ongoing bleeding needs to examined. I have a IBD. So seeking and getting a referral is completely normal!

Push for a colonoscopy. They're miserable but I've been having then every 3 years since your age as a close family member had bowel cancer before 30. Fine now though and it's been over a decade.

My friend lost her OH to it at 26 years old, left behind 2 young children was very sad. Please get them to test you for it asap

My husband is 39 and was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer last year, sadly it is very advanced and he has less than 12 months to live. It was only caught because I demanded a ct scan and the mass on his bowel was seen. We have 3 amazing children who will grow up without their daddy.

Please demand a colonoscopy, print off the nice guidelines and take them with you to your appointment, if the gp refuses to refer you speak to the practice manager. Hopefully it's something simple good luck

Your symptoms are similar to my brother who has ulcerative colitis. Rectal bleeding, anaemia, intermittent terrible abdo pains etc. It may not be as bad as cancer, but certainly needs investigations. Here is the link:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/ulcerative-colitis/

I too know a close friend that died of stage 4 bowel cancer age 24 and another from cervical cancer age 23! I hope you get some answers soon.

Hope you're doing okay, OP. Thinking of you today!

DrPatient
I hope you got checked.

I have had bowel cancer. I had no symptoms whatsoever and it was only discovered when I had a blood test on joining a new doctor’s surgery. This showed I was anaemic and the dr asked for a stool sample. This showed I was bleeding from somewhere and I was referred.
Unfortunately I did have cancer. Further tests have also showed I have Lynch Syndrome so maybe that’s another route to go down.
Good luck op x