GUT FEELING
‘Pencil poos’ and 9 other signs of bowel cancer – after cases in under 50s surge in England
Plus, find out what other poo shapes might mean for your health
AS SYMPTOMS of bowel cancer can be subtle and often affect your toilet habits, it can feel unnecessary or embarrassing to discuss them with a GP.
But after reports of a concerning "sharp" rise in early onset bowel cancer cases in England, we reveal signs of the disease you shouldn't delay in getting checked out.
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An American Cancer Society study found early onset bowel cancer in people aged 25 to 49 is increasing globally.
But it said England has one of the world’s fastest rising rates of bowel cancer in under-50s, with diagnoses up by 3.6 per cent per year between 2007 and 2017.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Concerningly, [the study] has shown for the first time ever that rates are rising more sharply in England than in many other countries around the world.
“While it is important to note that rates in younger adults are still very low compared to people over 50, we need to understand what’s causing this trend in younger people.”
Read more on bowel cancer
Scientists reckon unhealthy diets made up of more ultra-processed foods (UPFs), obesity and a lack of exercise are at least partly to blame for this worrying trend.
It comes after US scientists said poor diets play a "vital" role in the development of bowel cancer.
They uncovered a potential link between the Western diet - dominated by UPFs and unhealthy oils - and the chronic inflammation that leads to tumours.
In the UK, bowel cancer is now the third most common cancer, with almost 44,000 people are diagnosed every year.
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Grim projections from Cancer Research UK also warned that 5,000 more Brits will get bowel cancer every year by 2040.
However, nine in 10 patients survive it if diagnosed at the earliest stage, according to Bowel Cancer UK.
I got bowel cancer diagnosis after always feeling tired
The bowel makes up a part of the digestive system and is split into the small and large bowel. It includes the colon, rectum and anus.
Bowel cancer can often manifest itself in your bowel habits, changing the consistency of your poo and how often you need to go to the loo.
'Pencil poos'
Cancer experts have warned passing “pencil poos” could be a sign you’re suffering from the cancer.
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Dr Michael Cecchini, of Yale University, said arrow stools are a rare but “highly concerning” symptom of the deadly disease.
He said people with bowel cancer sometimes come into clinics saying they’ve noticed a change to their normal toilet routine.
Dr Cecchini told : “Stools are much thinner, or they’re pencil in thickness and size, which is a description that some patients with colorectal cancer will have.
“When it exists, it is highly concerning. It’s just not one of the more common symptoms of the disease.”
Red flag symptoms of bowel cancer
Other symptoms of the disease can include changes to your poo, such as it becoming softer or suffering diarrhoea or constipation that is unusual to you.
Needing to poo more or less than usual, having blood in your poo, bleeding from your bottom and needing to more often, even after just going, are also signs.
Tummy pain, bloating, losing weight accidentally and feeling very tired for no reason are other symptoms.
Narrow poos may be a sign of the disease - however, it does not necessarily mean that having a narrow poo means you have bowel cancer.
9 other symptoms of bowel cancer
Symptoms of bowel cancer may include:
- Changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
- Needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
- Blood in your poo, which may look red or black
- Bleeding from your bottom
- Often feeling like you need to poo, even if you've just been to the toilet
- Tummy pain
- Bloating
- Losing weight without trying
- Feeling very tired for no reason
Source:
A "healthy" looking poo is sausage shaped, experts say.
If you are concerned about changes to your bowel habits, you should see a doctor.
Dr Cecchini said: “It’s important to catch cancer early through screening or alerting to some of these symptoms so that we diagnose cancer at an earlier stage, where it’s more treatable and hopefully curable.”
Other types of poos
According to the Bristol Stool Scale, your number two will fit into one of several categories.
Sausage-like poos that are soft and easy to pass are what experts call "the gold standard of poop".
This is because it indicates that all is going smoothly with your digestion and that you're eating the right amount of fibre.
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Other takes on what stools can represent have been made, including that by comparing constipation to marbles, and diarrhoea to Jackson Pollock art.
Snake-shaped poops that are softer than sausage-shaped ones and easier to pass are also considered normal.
Caterpillar-like poos or marbles suggest you are constipated and need more fibre.
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Amboeas, on the other hand, are small and easy to pass but still signal a lack of fibre.
These poos are different to diarrhoea, which you can't really control.
According to the NHS, most cases of diarrhoea should clear up without treatment, especially if it more closely resembles the soft serve on the chart, which suggests you're suffering from a mild case of the runs.
Crohn's disease is a bowel condition that can cause inflammation anywhere in the digestive tract, the NHS says, with diarrhoea a key symptom.
Over 500,000 people in the UK have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the two main forms of which are Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.
It's a good idea to stay hydrated and to choose foods that are easy to digest.
Rising rates of early onset cancer
Amid reports of more adults under 50 developing bowel cancer, a number of high profile people have come forward to reveal their diagnosis with the disease.
One of those was actor Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek, who revealed he had bowel cancer last month.
The 47-year-old actor - best known for playing Dawson Leery in the iconic 90s teen drama alongside Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams - shared the devastating news in a statement to .
He said: "I have colorectal cancer [as bowel cancer is also referred to].
"I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family.
"There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good."
In a separate post to his Instagram, James added: "Each year, approximately two billion people around the world receive this diagnosis.
"And I’m one of them."
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The actor shared that he planned to "raise awareness" and share more about his diagnosis when he felt ready.
Sun writer Dame Debs was just 35 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in 2016 and passed away aged 40 in 2022.
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