IBS but so worried it's cancer

[Popsicle82646]

I've had gastrointestinal issues for as long as I can remember, needing to use the toilet often and 80% of the time I have loose stools .
Abdominal cranks that come and go, with the urge to go to the toilet when some cramps come on and it's relieved when I go.

Lately I've been getting more aware of my body and focusing on my cramps and pain, and I've gotten myself into a rabbit hole of worrying about bowel cancer after reading a story about a young woman in Australia who started with vague symptoms.

I've contacted the GP many times and they keep saying it's IBS, I've had blood tests done, Stool samples including a bowel cancer screening for blood stool test which all came back normal.

I know without a colonoscopy you can't know for sure but they won't do one as I'm 35, no indication or blood picked up in the QFIT stool test.

My question is, would you be reassured having a normal stool test that didn't detect any blood means that it is unlikely to be bowel cancer?

I have healthy anxiety and I am spiralling 🥺

I've been where you were...... and I'll be honest I was told by gastro Dr IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion.
I had a colonscopy to rule out other causes.
Your symptoms sound like mine. I also had health anxiety as my mum was told she has IBS and it was ovarian cancer and she sadly died. I don't like fueling people's anxiety but I also do not want others to die as GPs are too quick to say IBS.

I've had IBS my whole life and sometimes you have to insist on extra tests because GPs do tend to say, oh it's just your IBS. I stamp my feet and say no, this is different for me. I've had cramps and pain and loose stools for donkeys years and I'm not dead yet though if that helps.

More likely to be IBD (Crohn's) than cancer I would imagine - this is often first diagnosed in younger adults.
Have you had a calprotectin test on your stool?

I recently had a colonoscopy for loose stools/urgency. I also did all the tests prior like you have, FIT and stool test for inflammation, it all came back negative but I still got a referral for a colonoscopy which was suggested by the Dr who performs them at the clinic.
They told me it's unlikely to be anything serious as they look out for red flags, the number one red flag is blood in stool.
My colonoscopy went well, took biopsy's etc and the surgeon who performed it couldn't find an explanation for my symptoms.
So the chances are it's highly likely not to be anything sinister like cancer. Inflammation would be high due to the cancer would it not? And FIT test would be positive? And next to the negative FIT test result on the NHS app it states it's highly unlikely to be cancer and to suggest other possibilities as to what is causing the symptoms. Trust the tests, they know what they are looking out for.
Push for a colonoscopy and see where you get with it, I didn't even have to try as it was just offered to me but I don't know if that's because I have a good Doctors or not.

There is a balance between over and under testing.

You can never rule out cancer based on tests, without actually having a look. But, I imagine, researchers model probabilities and further testing is based on the modelling.

Given your age and lack of worrying symptoms, the probability of cancer is probably very low indeed (<<1%).

You could get a private colonoscopy for around £2,000. That would look for lots of things besides cancer so may be useful. But, if you are a chronic worrier, you will probably end up having lots of unnecessary tests.

It might be worth thinking about why you are so concerned and whether it is justified.

Small intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth is often misdiagnosed as IBS and is treatable.

Look up bile acid malabsorption.