Could I have bowel cancer at 23

I am a 23 year old male. Over the past month I've been experiencing a change in my bowel habits. I started going quite a lot throughout the day however my stools were very narrow. I then couldn't go for a week and was constipated. Now any time I do go my stools are narrow and I'm really worried I have bowel cancer. I went to the doctor and he did bloods and said they were all fine. He said I'm far too young to have bowel cancer and that it's just caused by poor diet and stress. I'm just wondering if it is possible that I have bowel cancer and also what other conditions could cause my symptoms.

thank you for reading.

  • Hi sm96, I am in no way medically trained or a professional in oncology but as a nervous hypochondriac (lol) I am quite researched on these matters and perhaps could offer some advice. It’s great that you’ve been to your GP and even though they have given you the all clear of course you can still be concerned/nervous over the matters you have described. It’s possible that you are suffering from symptoms of IBS or IBD, as many people who suffer from these conditions get their first bouts of it in their early - mid twenties. Any cause for concern would be whether you are experiencing any considerable pains in the abdomen, or if you are feeling more fatigued than usual and/or have experienced unusual weight fluctuations, which are still in no way a sure sign of cancer, and are almost always caused by other conditions as mentioned previously. Changes in bowel movements are perfectly natural most of the time and can seem to come about suddenly throughout life but aren’t usually anything to get too caught up about, but keep in touch with your doctor if symptoms persist and continue to worry you. Wishing you all the best and hoping you feel better soon!