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Dr. Ursina Teitelbaum is a medical oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania.
A doctor shared two things she does to avoid a very common type of cancer and the symptoms you should never ignore.
Dr. Ursina Teitelbaum is a medical oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is part of the gastrointestinal cancer program.
The doctor revealed that while you can never predict who will get colon cancer, there are several things you can do to avoid the disease or make sure you detect it early.
Dr. Teitelbaum said huffpost While colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer worldwide, it is difficult to detect early because its symptoms are often ignored.
Common symptoms of cancer include changes in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, anal or rectal pain, lumps, unexpected weight loss, fatigue, and anemia.
1. Don’t ignore abnormal symptoms or “warning” signs, even if you are young
Dr. Teitelbaum said younger adults rarely think that their strange symptoms could be cancer, which is dangerous because health professionals have the same bias.
Ignoring warning signs could lead to delayed diagnosis and worse outcomes, so it’s essential that you listen to your body.
“Watch for any changes in bowel habits,” Dr. Teitelbaum stressed. “If he has always had bowel movements on schedule but now feels frequently constipated or notices blood in his stool and has abdominal pain, it is worth talking to a doctor.”
He added that you should also consult a doctor if you have unexplained diarrhea, fatigue or sudden anemia.
It is recommended to seek a second opinion if you feel that your GP is not taking you seriously.
A healthy lifestyle will reduce the risk of colon cancer
2. Live an active lifestyle with a healthy diet – it really helps
Colorectal cancer has been commonly linked to various lifestyle choices, such as cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and being physically inactive.
A person’s diet is also an important factor: a high volume of red meat, processed foods and confectionery products such as biscuits and lollies are linked to an increased risk of colon cancer.
Dr. Teitelbaum said, “There is no perfect predictor of colon cancer, but globally, a healthy lifestyle can help prevent it.”
A healthy, fit nurse who was diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer at age 29 knows all too well the struggle of the disease and has shared the two subtle “warning signs” she experienced and wants all young people to know.
Mother-of-three Talitha Akamarmoi, from the New South Wales Central Coast, experienced symptoms of chronic fatigue and iron deficiency for about six months before her diagnosis.
At first, doctors and colleagues blamed it on the fact that he was recovering from a postpartum hemorrhage and maintained a “poor” vegetarian diet – and Due to his age it was unlikely to be anything serious.
But after needing three iron transfusions, she finally had a colonoscopy which found a “long” tumor in her large intestine that was causing the problems.
Talitha Akamarmoi, from Central Coast, New South Wales (pictured below right with her three children) was diagnosed with stage two colorectal cancer at age 29.
“I was nervous about having a colonoscopy, I work with colorectal surgeons, but I knew I was getting the best care,” Talitha, now 31, told FEMAIL.
“The surgeon came in, closed the curtain around him and said, ‘We’ve found the cause of your anemia, there’s no easy way to say it, you’ve been bleeding slowly due to a tumor in your colon.’
“I was in complete shock when I found out, I burst into tears and didn’t want to believe it.”
Talitha has a family history of bowel cancer and her grandfather suffered from the deadly disease when he was in his early 50s.
‘I was in complete shock when I found out, I burst into tears and didn’t want to believe it’
Talitha underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove the entire right half of her colon and surrounding lymph nodes, then had to wait another week for pathology results.
“While I was losing blood, I think some of it was reabsorbed before it got to the end, then I didn’t notice anything left in the stool,” he said.
Unfortunately, the cancer had spread to four lymph nodes, so chemotherapy was necessary.
Today tests show no current signs of cancer in the body, an organism that will require check-ups for the next three months indefinitely.
Talitha’s biggest advice to all young people is to be advocates for their health because bowel cancer is not just an “old people’s disease”.
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