Self-advocacy a vital tool in surging early-onset bowel cancer rates
Rates of bowel cancer in adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15-24 years have soared by 266% over the past three decades, according to Bowel Cancer Australia.
A medical researcher says self-advocacy is paramount with a new study revealing a perceived ‘age bias’ as a major barrier to diagnosis.
The recent research highlights that younger people may spend between three months and five years seeing multiple doctors before they receive a diagnosis, with many suggesting they are overlooked for bowel cancer because of their age.
This month is Bowel Cancer Awareness month – The Wire spoke with chief Investigator of the study, Dr Klay Lamprell to find out more.