\u201cNobody wants to think they\u2019ll be affected by cancer,\u201d says Dr Anisha Patel, GP. \u201cMany people dismiss cancer symptoms as stress or ageing, or worry they\u2019re wasting my time. Some have waited for months before coming to see me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Patel, author of Everything You Hoped You\u2019d Never Need to Know About Bowel Cancer, understands that instinct only too well. In 2018, she was diagnosed with stage-3 bowel cancer<\/a> after a few months of subtle symptoms.<\/p>\n \u201cEven with my medical knowledge, I could explain everything away,\u201d she says. \u201cI blamed constipation and tiredness on being a busy mum and GP. It was only when the symptoms became more persistent I realised I needed help.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s far from alone. According to Cancer Research UK, around one in three people delay contacting their GP for six months after noticing a potential cancer symptom. That delay can have serious consequences<\/a>. A study in The British Medical Journal<\/a> found each four-week delay in intervention was associated with a 6 to 13 per cent increase in the risk of death, with the risk rising the longer treatment was delayed.<\/p>\n \u201cA later diagnosis often means the cancer has had more time to grow or spread,\u201d says Dr Patel. \u201cThat often leads to more intensive treatment and a worse prognosis.\u201d<\/p>\n Following surgery and chemotherapy, Dr Patel made a full recovery and now works with Bowel Cancer UK to encourage more people to recognise the warning signs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here are the symptoms she says should never be ignored.<\/p>\n 1. You\u2019re more tired than usual<\/p>\n \u201cFatigue is a difficult symptom to catch because it\u2019s so common,\u201d says Dr Patel. \u201cWhat\u2019s key is whether it feels disproportionate to your activity level and distinctly different from your normal level of tiredness.\u201d<\/p>\n