A brutally frank TikTok from the UK’s top social media doctor has demonstrated key differences between bleeding caused by hemorrhoids and deadly bowel cancer.
In it shortenNHS surgeon Dr Karan Rajan reacts to alarming video previously posted by Colon Cancer Amigo, which has been viewed more than eight million times.
In it, the TikTok creator, who was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer at the age of 32, shows with a red marker what his toilet paper looked like after wiping himself when he had hemorrhoids.
Also known as piles, millions of people are affected by these swollen blood vessels in the anus that can bleed, but although they are uncomfortable, they are considered benign.
The marker creates a few bright red dots that mimic blood on the white paper.
Then, using red food coloring, the father of three shows to dramatic effect what the toilet bowl looked like “a few weeks before I went to the ER.”
Dr. Rajan, who has more than eight million followers on social media, then poses the key question: “How do you differentiate between bleeding from colon cancer and hemorrhoids?”
He goes on to describe, with characteristic candor, what people need to keep in mind to differentiate between the two conditions.
In it, the TikTok creator, who was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer at age 32, shows with a red marker what his toilet paper looked like after wiping when he had hemorrhoids.
Then, using red food coloring, the father of three shows what the toilet bowl looked like “a few weeks before I went to the ER.”
Dr. Rajan continues: “Blood from cancer can mix with stool, giving it a darker or streaky appearance.”
“Colon cancer blood is usually dark red and maybe even black and tarry because it comes from higher in the digestive tract, giving it more time to oxidize and darken,” explains Dr. Rajan.
“Bleeding from hemorrhoids is usually light red because it comes from swollen veins near the anus or rectum.”
He continues: ‘The blood from the cancer can mix with the stool, giving it a darker or more marbled appearance.
“While blood from hemorrhoids usually appears on toilet paper after wiping it, on the surface of stool, or even as droplets in the toilet bowl, rather than mixing with stool.”
Dr. Rajan then adds, “It’s a pizza topping rather than baked into the dough.”
While bleeding is a sign of colon cancer (also known as bowel or colorectal cancer), there are additional signs to watch for, he explains.
“In addition to bleeding, you tend to have other symptoms,” says Dr. Rajan, “such as diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and so on.”
In previous posts, Colon Cancer Amigo, who finished cancer treatment in January of last year, admitted that he lost a large amount of weight before being diagnosed, but at the time he simply thought his diet was working.
A brutally frank TikTok from the UK’s top social media doctor has demonstrated key differences between bleeding caused by hemorrhoids and deadly bowel cancer.
While bleeding is a sign of colon cancer (also known as bowel or colorectal cancer), there are additional signs to watch for, he explains.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rajan says, hemorrhoids “usually only cause local burning symptoms, such as itching, rectal pain, and maybe even a lump.”
He adds that anyone who notices persistent rectal bleeding, regardless of its shape or color, should get checked “to rule out the worst-case scenario, because cancer doesn’t always follow textbook symptoms.”
Just days before posting the clip, which has had more than three million views, Dr. Rajan shared a surprising message he had received from a follower thanking him for his “life-saving” advice on colon cancer.
The message reads: ‘Hi, I just wanted to tell you that one of your videos literally saved my life.
‘I was diagnosed with bowel cancer even though the NHS screening test (offered to people aged 55 and over) came back clear… I went to my GP because one of his videos said to never ignore the possibilities in your intestine. habits.
‘From there, a colonoscopy detected a 60mm tumor, so if it wasn’t for you I would never have bothered.
“So thank you, thank you, thank you, you’re literally my lifesaver.”
The posts come as experts continue to warn of a worrying rise in colon cancers in those under 50, which has baffled doctors around the world.
Last week, actor James Van Der Beek revealed that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer at the age of 47.
The graph above shows the increase in colon cancers in Americans under age 50 over the past two decades.
The disease has increased 50 percent in this age group over the past three decades.
Each year there are more than 44,000 new colon cancer diagnoses in the UK and almost 142,000 in the United States.
Although the vast majority affect people over the age of 50, rates in older age groups have decreased or remained stable, while diagnoses in younger people have increased.
Last week, actor James Van Der Beek revealed that he had been diagnosed with the disease at the age of 47.
Doctors have suggested that obesity, overuse of antibiotics, cell phone radiation and even invisible plastic particles in drinking water are possible triggers.
However, a growing number of experts point to ultra-processed foods as the cause.
Also known as UPF, these are prepared foods (including bread, cereals, and even salad dressings) made with artificial ingredients used to preserve, add flavor, and improve texture.
Some have even gone so far as to say that they could be as dangerous as tobacco and should come with a health warning similar to that on cigarettes.
The graph above shows the symptoms of colon cancer and their frequency in patients who develop colon cancer before the age of 50 compared to those who develop it later.
Speaking to MailOnline earlier this year, Dr Joe O’Sullivan, oncologist and professor at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “The rise in cancer rates in young people has to be down to something we are consuming,” he stated.
“And ultra-processed foods are the biggest lifestyle change in the last 40 years.”
Another concern is that younger people with colorectal cancer suffer slightly different symptoms than older patients, according to a recent study.
The researchers looked at 5,000 people in Taiwan of different ages with the disease, found that six in 10 under the age of 50 suffered rectal bleeding before being diagnosed with the disease, compared with less than half of those over 50.
And nearly 60 percent of young people with the disease also experienced changes in their health habits before or after diagnosis, compared with 48 percent of older patients.
The study found that patients under 50 are more likely to be diagnosed later, when the cancer has spread, perhaps because they ignore changes in health.