A woman who was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer at the age of 24 has shared three signs you should never ignore – as they made her book a doctor’s appointment
The woman was diagnosed with cancer at just 24 years old (stock photo)(Image: getty)
Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of the disease in the UK, and diagnosing it early can make it easier to treat. Referring to cancer found anywhere in the large bowel, including the colon and rectum, it can vary in severity depending on how big the tumour or tumours are, if they have spread, and your general health.
Bowel cancer screening can pick up signs of the cancer early, which may mean it’s easier to treat. One woman on social media who was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 24 has shared the three symptoms that made her realise she needed to see a doctor, which ultimately led to her diagnosis.
Paige Seifert shared a video on TikTok in which she said she was told she had stage three colon cancer, which is covered by the broader bowel cancer term, at the beginning of 2025, when she was just 24 years old. Stage three means the cancer it has spread into tissue or nearby lymph nodes, but hasn’t reached other organs. It is the second most-serious stage, after stage four.
Paige added she experienced three key symptoms that made her want to get checked out by a doctor, but emphasised that anyone experiencing the same signs may not necessarily have cancer – but it is always best to see an expert.
She said: “I want to preface this by saying that just because you have all three of these symptoms does not mean you have colon cancer. In fact, statistically speaking, you probably don’t. These symptoms are linked to things like IBS, coeliac, and a number of other things. So don’t freak out, I’m just explaining my personal story.”
1. Blood in the stool
One of the most common symptoms of bowel cancers, including colon cancer, is blood in your poo. Paige said this symptom was the biggest indicator that something was wrong with her health, and helped push her to see a doctor.
She said: “A lot of people ask what it looked like, the frequency, all the jazz. But if you’re seeing blood in your stool [at all], that’s your number one [sign to] go see a doctor. Of course, it can be chalked up to [something like] haemorrhoids, and that’s what the first four doctors I saw told me that it was, but it’s better to have a doctor confirm that.”
2. Fatigue
Feeling fatigued can be a symptom of an almost endless list of conditions, from vitamin deficiencies to lifestyle issues to cancer, so just feeling tired on its own may not be enough to secure a diagnosis. But if you feel fatigued for a long period of time and you have other symptoms, you may need to see a doctor.
Paige explained: “I know everyone in this day and age is fatigued, but cancer fatigue is a whole other level. I’m not the kind of person who can fall asleep in the middle of the day or take naps, but my eyes were slamming shut all the time. It didn’t matter if I got 12 hours of sleep, I was just exhausted.”
3. Stomach discomfort
Bowel cancers can impact your digestive system, so feeling some stomach discomfort is common. This can vary in severity, and can also be a symptom of several other illnesses and conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and food intolerances. However, it’s always best to get these symptoms checked out to identify the cause.
Paige said: “I’m not going to go into depth here, as I honestly can’t remember what it felt like, and as a woman, this can be chalked up to a million different things, just like the rest of these symptoms. But all of these combined just made me feel like something had to be wrong.”
She finished her video by reiterating that she saw four different doctors before she was actually diagnosed, so she said the “main message” she would give to people is that if you feel like something is wrong with your body, you should “advocate for yourself” and keep fighting for answers.
Bowel cancer symptoms
According to the NHS, symptoms of bowel cancer may include:
- Changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea, or constipation that is not usual for you
- Needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
- Blood in your poo, which may look red or black
- Bleeding from your bottom
- Often feeling like you need to poo, even if you’ve just been to the toilet
- Tummy pain
- A lump in your tummy
- Bloating
- Losing weight without trying
- Feeling very tired or short of breath – these are signs of anaemia, which can be caused by bowel cancer
When to see a GP
You should make an appointment to see a GP if you have had any symptoms of bowel cancer for three weeks or more. However, if your poo is black or dark red, or if you have bloody diarrhoea, you should call 111 for an emergency appointment.
Call 999 or go to A&E if you’re bleeding non-stop from your bottom, or if there’s a lot of blood, for example, if the toilet water turns red or you see large blood clots. For more information, visit the NHS website.
