Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.
A doctor has revealed a key symptom of bowel cancer which is often overlooked by people who may not know that they have the disease.
Following tragic news of the death of Married at First Sight star Mel Schilling today (24 March), experts have spoken out about the symptoms surrounding the disease.
Just 54, Schilling said she was 'surrounded by love' at the end of her life, with the TV icon first speaking about her cancer diagnosis in December 2023 on social media.
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The dating coach admitted that things progressed quickly after suffering from severe stomach cramps on set, with her GP first diagnosing it as constipation, before a scan in the UK revealed that she had colon cancer.
She said that 'in an instant my whole life changed, with the tumour being 'the size of a lemon' as it likely would've been fatal if it had 'gone undetected for much longer'.
Symptoms of bowel cancer
Schilling admitted her 'light is starting to fade' in the week before her death after going through 16 rounds of chemotherapy, and that she was set to be part of a 'groundbreaking clinical trial' this year.
But with the condition spreading to her brain, doctors were left helpless after she tried to fight her symptoms.
According to the NHS, these are the 10 signs to look out for when it comes to bowel cancer:
- Needing to poop more or less often than usual
- Changes in your stool, such as it being softer, or having diarrhoea or constipation that is not normal for you
- Blood in your stool, which can appear red or black
- Bleeding from your bottom
- Pain in your tummy
- Feeling like you need to poo, even if you've been
- A lump in your tummy
- Unexplained weight loss
- Bloating
- Feeling very tired or short of breath, which can signal anaemia - a condition possibly caused by bowel cancer
Doctor's advice on important bowel cancer symptom
Dr Asiya Maula, private GP at The Health Suite, highlighted how rapidly the condition can develop, highlighting that an overlooked early sign is a change in bowel habits, as highlighted by the NHS.
Many can dismiss these changes as an effect of diet, stress, or a temporary stomach issue.
“People tend to normalise it or wait for it to pass, especially if they feel otherwise well,” Dr Maula pointed out, adding: “But anything that persists for several weeks should always be checked.”
The doctor said that this 'low-level' change can take plave over time, making it harder to identify and therefore ignore, which some experts say is why bowel cancer is sometimes diagnosed in its later stages.
Dr Maula warned people not to panic and keep tabs on changes which won't go away, explaining: “Most of these symptoms will have harmless explanations, but it’s the persistence that matters.”
“When bowel cancer is caught early, outcomes are significantly better, which is why recognising these quieter warning signs is so important,” she added.
There are over 42,000 new cases of bowel cancer in the UK every year, as risk typically increases in age, despite cases in younger adults rising over the years.
Lifestyle factors such as diet and low physical activity can play a part, as doctors have urged people to look for patterns instead of one-off symptoms.
Joshua Nair