Young Mom, 27, Thought Bloating Was Just IBS But It Was Bowel Cancer: Knowing the Important Differences Between the Two

Between March and July of that year, her symptoms (bloating and back pain) continued to progress and even started to interfere with her ability to care for her 3-year-old son, Jake. Over-the-counter painkillers did nothing for her pain, either.

"I've had bloating throughout my whole adult life so I thought it was just IBS (irritable bowel syndrome, an intestinal disorder) or something but it would not go away," Delilah, who was 26 at the time, told LancsLive. "Then I was getting pains in my back and sharp pains in my abdomen, which was stopping me from being a mom"

"I couldn't go on the floor and play with my son and do things with him," she continued. "Then one day at work my boss asked if I was OK and I just burst out crying and he sent me home and I went to see a doctor. I was in tears and begging for help and just sent me home with painkillers."

Her health took a turn for the worst in July 2021 when she started vomiting "at least once a week."

"I was losing so much weight, to the point that my neighbor wondered if I had an eating disorder," the young mother said. "I was being sick all the time and I was sat in my car one day and I realized I was scared of how I was going to wake up feeling each day."

While Delilah's health was declining, there was a bright spot of hope for her when she visited another hospital and the doctors there didn't dismiss her.

"I went to another hospital and they were quick on the ball to get some scans done and pretty much from the beginning, said it was probably cancer," she said. "After my biopsy, I was only home for two nights before I started throwing up stuff I shouldn't and I felt an intense pressure in my head and my arms felt weak and numb."

"That's when I knew something was seriously wrong and I went to hospital and had my stomach drained and a stoma put in, which I was told saved my life," she continued.

"They're (doctors) not 100 percent sure but they think it's bowel cancer and I want to raise awareness because I didn't have blood in my stool, which is the usual symptom, mainly because the tumor was blocking my bowel and I couldn't even go to the loo."

That summer, doctors told Delilah she had just over a year to live. Supportive co-workers at her former employer, The Ship Inn at Haskayne, located in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England, rallied behind her and hosted fundraisers for her. Sadly, Delilah passed away in December 2022.

But with April being IBS Awareness Month, her story sheds an important light on these conditions that others can learn from.

It’s no wonder that Delilah thought her symptoms were due to IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder affecting the stomach and intestines, according to Mayo Clinic. It can cause the following symptoms:

• Cramping
• Gas
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Changes in the appearance of your stool
• Changes in how often your have a bowel movement

Delilah said she had experienced bloating and abdominal pain. It’s important to know that those symptoms, and the others listed here for IBS, can also be signs of bowel cancer, which is cancer that starts in the large bowel (colon) or the recum. This is commonly called colorectal cancer in the U.S.

So what are the important distinctions between IBS symptoms and those of bowel cancer? Read on to get to know the symptoms that often come with the development of colorectal cancer.

Understanding Bowel Cancer

Bowel cancer, also referred to as colorectal cancer, is the third-most common cancer affecting men and women in the United States.

It also leads to more deaths in the U.S. each year than every other form of cancer, except lung cancer.

In the United Kingdom, where Delilah lives, bowel cancer is the second-most common cause of cancer death, according to Cancer Research UK, accounting for 10% of all cancer deaths.

Dr. Paul Oberstein explains the symptoms of colon cancer.

Signs & Symptoms

Many symptoms of bowel cancer are similar to those of irritable bowel syndrome, so if you notice any changes to your body or have any symptoms you are concerned about, make sure to consult with your doctor.

The sneaky thing about colorectal polyps and colorectal cancer, say SurvivorNet's medical experts, is that they don't necessarily lead to symptoms, which is why screening is necessary for everyone over age 50 (and sometimes earlier), even people who feel well.

When symptoms do appear, one of the most common is a change in bowel habits. This ranges from constipation or diarrhea to differences in the size or shape of bowel movements. A change in stool color, particularly black or tarry stools, can indicate bleeding from a tumor that lies deep in the colon.

This is different from seeing blood in your stool due to IBS. When there is constipation with IBS, the increased strain can lead to small tears in the rectum, resulting in some bleeding. However, persistent rectal bleeding is a serious symptom, and can be an indication of colorectal cancer .

Other symptoms can be harder to pinpoint as cancer, such as abdominal pain and unintentional weight loss, which is what Delilah experienced. Finally, some tumors bleed a small amount over a long period of time, resulting in anemia (a low red blood cell count) that is picked up on a blood test.

Dr. Paul Oberstein, director of the Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Program at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet a few common symptoms of the disease to look out for:

• Change in bowel movements sudden changes to the size, consistency or caliber of stool
• Change in stool color bright red or black stool is a sign that an individual should seek medical attention
• Pain in the abdomen unusual discomfort or bloating of the stomach. In the case of women, pain isn't related to the menstrual cycle.
• Sudden and unexplained weight loss rapid drop in weight that isn't the result of diet or exercise
• Anemia Individuals who feel a general sense of malaise or faintness, or are constantly tired or weak much more than usual, may want to consult a doctor.

Younger People Are Getting Colorectal Cancer

The average age of diagnosing someone in the U.S. with colon cancer is 68 for men and 72 for women, according to the American Cancer Society. For rectal cancer, the age is 63 for both men and women. However, there's an alarming increase in the number of younger people being diagnosed with the disease.

"In contrast to decreasing CRC [colorectal cancer] incidence in older adults, rates have been increasing in adults aged 2039 years since the mid-1980s and in those aged 4054 years since the mid-1990s," the ACS report reads. "From 2011 through 2019, rates increased by 1.9% per year in people younger than 50 years and in those aged 5054 years."

READ MORE: Teen Thought Bleeding Was From Hemorrhoids It Was Stage 4 Colon Cancer

Additionally, the report found a rise in people being diagnosed at more advanced stages than in the mid-1990s, prior to widespread screening.

Dr. Yeo says the shift could be caused by various things.

"We don't know for sure why we are seeing earlier onset and death from colon cancer," Dr. Yeo told SurvivorNet. "It is likely a combination of factors, including diet and genetics as well as access to care and some environmental factors."

Given the changes in colorectal cancer diagnoses, the United States Preventive Services Task Force recently changed its colorectal cancer screening recommendations to begin at age 45 instead of 50.

"We know that colon cancers can be prevented when polyps are found early," Dr. Yeo said. "Lowering the screening age helps somewhat with this. But access to care is a real problem."

If have not yet turned 45 but have concerns about your risk, speak with your doctor. You should ask about your individual risk dependent on your lifestyle and family history and find out when screenings would be right for you.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.