Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer in Canada; however, its symptoms are often dismissed among the population.

Jocelyn Laidlaw, broadcaster and ambassador for Colorectal Cancer Canada, says symptoms can include changes in bowel habits, fatigue, weight loss, anemia, bloating, and bloody stool, which she says are easily mislabeled as a different ailment, especially by young people.

“(Young people) often attribute any symptoms they may have to gastrointestinal problems related to what they’re eating, or simple aches and pains in their body from other sources. They often dismiss the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer. Very few doctors are looking for colorectal cancer in patients from 20-45 years old.”

However, the CCC is very concerned about an increase in early onset colorectal cancer.

“Decades ago (early onset colorectal cancer) was maybe, maybe, 10% of the total number of colorectal cancer cases. t has now, just last year, reached the 20% mark, so it has already doubled, and it is expected to potentially double by 2030.”

She says most people are embarrassed to talk about their bathroom habits with their doctor, however that conversation could be the only thing between the patient and a missed diagnosis. Her advice is for eligible Canadians to get screened, and if you notice a change in your bowel movements, consult your doctor.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it with your family and friends, but you need to be open and dialoging with your doctor. When they ask you, ‘how are you doing these days?’, feel free to say, ‘well, I’m having some trouble in the bathroom’, because there may be something to that.”

Laidlaw had her own battle with colorectal cancer, and she says the signs aren’t always detectable.

“I had no clue that I had advanced metastatic colorectal cancer. If you had told me that the day before I got the call from my doctor, I would have laughed in your face. I just could never have expected this.”

Laidlaw says by the time she discovered it, her cancer had already spread to her lymph nodes and through tissues adjoining the colorectal region. She had been getting symptoms, however she attributed them to other things such as lactose intolerance and getting older.

The CCC’s call to action this March is Save Butts- Save Lives, and Laidlaw suggests that eligible Canadians get screened as soon as they can.