These 3 'ordinary' symptoms are easily mistaken for PMS, and a Harvard doctor warns: They can be a sign of a deadly disease

Colorectal cancer, once primarily a concern for those over 50, is now alarmingly prevalent among younger adults, particularly women in their thirties. Dr. Saurabh Sethi, a Harvard-educated gastroenterologist, highlights that crucial early indicators are frequently misidentified as minor issues, resulting in later-stage diagnoses and more challenging treatments.

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The problem is that the disease often progresses silently, without pronounced symptoms in the initial stages, while precancerous polyps grow unnoticed for years.

The paradigm shift sees an alarming increase in diagnoses among those under 55, with numbers nearly doubling in the past decade. Dr. Sethi points to modern lifestyles and a tendency to ignore bodily signals as contributing factors to this dangerous trend. The disease often progresses silently in its initial phases, with precancerous polyps growing unnoticed for years.

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The first are abdominal cramps. Although common during menstruation, persistent and unusual cramps that occur outside the cycle or are stronger than usual can be a sign of alarm.

When symptoms do emerge, they are often nonspecific. Consequently, a significant majority of cases are discovered only in advanced stages, diminishing the chances of a full recovery. Younger women are especially vulnerable, often attributing symptoms to their menstrual cycle or other common conditions. Dr. Sethi identifies three signs women in their thirties commonly overlook: persistent abdominal cramps outside of their cycle, chronic bloating that doesn't resolve, and lasting changes in bowel movements, such as sudden constipation, prolonged diarrhea, or unusually thin stools.

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The second symptom is chronic bloating that does not subside and cannot be linked to specific foods.

Beyond these, other red flags demand attention. Blood in the stool, whether bright red or dark and tarry, requires immediate medical evaluation, even if initially dismissed as hemorrhoids. Unexplained fatigue and exhaustion can signal iron-deficiency anemia caused by slow internal bleeding. Other warning signs include unintentional weight loss and a persistent feeling of incomplete bowel evacuation, which could indicate a tumor obstructing the bowel.

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The third and perhaps most important sign is persistent changes in bowel movements. This includes sudden constipation, chronic diarrhea lasting more than a few days, or a noticeable change in stool appearance, such as unusually thin, pencil-shaped stools.