Health · Medical Research · 1 day ago
GP warns young adults not to dismiss persistent bowel symptoms
Some bowel cancer symptoms can resemble irritable bowel syndrome, which commonly causes abdominal pain, diarrhoea or constipation.
GP Asiya Maula says a persistent feeling that you still need to pass stool after going to the toilet can be a warning sign.
Bowel cancer is not the only cause, but a lasting change from what is normal for you is worth discussing with a GP.
Gut symptoms alongside exhaustion or breathlessness can point to anaemia, which may result from blood loss.
Blood in stool should also be checked rather than assumed to be caused by haemorrhoids or dismissed because of age.
The article says bowel cancer cases among people under 50 have risen by more than 50 per cent over two decades.
Maula advises contacting a GP about concerning symptoms; the provided information does not describe any further next steps.
GP Dr Asiya Maula warns young adults not to dismiss persistent bowel symptoms or assume they are too young to have bowel cancer.
She says a persistent feeling of incomplete bowel emptying, especially if it is a change from normal, should be discussed with a GP.
Exhaustion, breathlessness and blood in the stool are also among the symptoms highlighted in the article.
The article says bowel cancer cases in people under 50 have risen by more than 50 per cent over the last two decades.
- Who
- Dr Asiya Maula, a GP at The Health Suite, is warning young adults.
- What
- She urges people not to dismiss persistent bowel symptoms and to discuss them with a GP.
- When
- The article was published on October 10, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Some bowel cancer symptoms can be mistaken for IBS or attributed to less serious causes, and the article says cases among under-50s have risen by more than 50 per cent over two decades.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Do not simply write it off because you are in your twenties, thirties or forties.
Your GP would much rather investigate a symptom that turns out to be harmless than have someone delay seeking help because they thought they were too young to have bowel cancer.
Dame Deborah James died aged 40 after bowel cancer spread to her lungs.
Bristol-based GP Dr Jack Ogden urged patients to get checked for lesser-known symptoms, including pencil-thin stools.
The Daily Mail published Dr Asiya Maula’s warning about persistent bowel symptoms.
- Bowel cancer cases
- More than 50 per cent rise among people under 50 over the last two decades
- Incomplete bowel emptying
- A persistent change from normal should be discussed with a GP
- Other symptoms highlighted
- Exhaustion, breathlessness and blood in the stool
- Dame Deborah James
- Died in 2022 aged 40
Sources
Related news
Pope Leo to have surgery to remove an early-detected lung nodule
Pope Leo XIV to have surgery to remove early-stage lung nodule
ADHD and Later Cognitive Diagnoses: Why the Risk Estimate Needs Context
Higher Pre-Surgery A1c Linked to Macular Edema Risk After Cataract Surgery
Pope Leo XIV to have lung nodule removed in surgery this week
PRIMA retinal implant showed control of geographic atrophy for up to 3 years
Presley Gerber died at 27 after years of public struggle with addiction
Chewable gummy offers another oral-care option for people with dementia
Study asks how intense intercourse feels for each partner
Pope Leo XIV says he will have surgery to remove a lung lesion
Chiranjeevi urges people to seek early cancer screening
