A 42-year-old man who needed the toilet more than usual had colon cancer

• A 42-year-old man with colon cancer that has metastasized to the liver urged others with symptoms to get checked out.
• Tom McKenna had diarrhea and noticed blood-stained mucus on the toilet paper.
• The rates of people under 50 diagnosed with colorectal cancer have increased since the 1980s.

A man in his 40s, who was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer after suffering from diarrhea, has urged others to get a check-up, amid rising rates of the disease among the under-50s.

Tom McKenna, 42, first noticed he was going to the toilet a lot and getting diarrhea in the summer of 2020.

“I noticed horrific bloody mucus on my stool and on the toilet paper,” he told Insider in an email.

McKenna, who lives in the UK, also felt lethargic, but he attributed it to working too much at his job and not getting enough sleep.

Overall, he “felt absolutely fine” but went to see a doctor because of the diarrhea that worried him.

McKenna developed colon cancer that had spread to the liver

The doctor organized a surgical camera test, called a colonoscopy, and McKenna was diagnosed with colon cancer that day. Further examinations revealed that it had spread to the liver, which means he had stage four cancer.

The rate of people diagnosed with colon cancer in the US – and other high-income countries such as the UK – has generally fallen since the mid-1980s, in part because people are over 45 in the US, or over 50 in United Kingdom, we are check up To detect cancer before symptoms appear.

But, the average of people under 50 diagnosed with colorectal cancer in high-income countries has increased steadily over that period, now accounting for 10% of all new diagnosess, According to the search. Many factors It is thought to contribute to colon cancer, including a diet rich in red meat that may cause IBD.

Thomas said his case was “bad luck”.

McKenna underwent surgery to remove 60% of his liver

The treatment a person receives will generally depend on the extent of the cancer and may include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery.

McKenna had two surgeries to remove 60% of his liver in September 2020 and February 2022, According to a UK bowel cancer press releaseand another that took away half of the colon and gallbladder — the organ that stores bile that helps digest fats — in May 2021.

McKenna told Insider Thursday that he’s been in pain around his surgery scars, and that he avoids greasy foods and alcohol because they “pass by so quickly.” He also increased the amount of fiber in his diet.

As of December 2022, tests had not detected cancer in his body for about a year. He said he would have another exam in May and then every six months for the next five years to make sure the cancer had not returned.

Check before it’s too late

The American Cancer Society estimates that 106,970 people will be diagnosed in the United States Colon Cancer in 2023.

The probability that a person will live more than five years after being diagnosed Colon Cancer Compared to someone without it usually depends on how far the cancer has spread.

“Colorectal cancer can be very inconspicuous for a long time, so I would encourage anyone with any issues, or any suspicions, to seek collateral before it’s too late,” McKenna said.

In addition to McKenna symptoms, among other things: a feeling that the bowel is not completely empty after a bowel movement, weight loss, and abdominal pain. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention She recommends that anyone experiencing these symptoms speak with a doctor.