42-year-old man who needed the toilet more than usual had colon cancer - Insider

A man in his 40s who was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer after he had concerning diarrhea has been urging others to get checked out amid rising rates of the disease among people younger than 50.

The doctor organized an invasive camera test, called a colonoscopy, and McKenna was diagnosed with colon cancer that day.

Many factors are thought to contribute to the development of colon cancer, including a diet high in red meat, which may cause gut inflammation.

McKenna had two surgeries to remove 60% of his liver, in September 2020 and February, a Bowel Cancer UK press release said, and another that took away half of his colon and gallbladder — the organ stores bile that helps to digest fats — in May 2021.

McKenna told Insider on Thursday that he got pain around the surgery scars and he avoided fatty foods and alcohol because they "pass through very quickly."

In addition to McKenna's symptoms, others include: a feeling that the bowel isn't completely empty after pooping, weight loss, and tummy pain.