India’s Digestive Health Crisis Highlights Alarming Colorectal Cancer Warning Gaps: Low Awareness, Rising Risks

Equally concerning is that of the individuals surveyed, over 80% did not know that blood in the stool is a potential early indicator of a colorectal cancer, and approximately 40% of younger individuals indicated that they ignored their digestive symptoms by attributing them to poor lifestyle choices.

In Delhi where 679 people were surveyed, the level of awareness and the way in which people sought medical advice was particularly concerning. Over 80% of respondents did not recognise blood in the stool as a symptom of concern; and nearly 90% of individuals chose to use home remedies or over-the-counter medications, as opposed to consulting with their doctor for ongoing bowel problems. Only 10.5% of respondents reported that they would seek medical assistance.
Digestive problems were prevalent: more than 65% of individuals reported having irregular bowel habits and more than 80% felt they had not completely emptied their bowels. Behavior risk factors included the frequent consumption of outside food (86%) and very few (35.5%) exercising regularly. There was also a significant proportion (39.2%) who used tobacco products.

Barriers to using health care services included time constraints (35.4%), fear of being embarrassed (31.1%), and not enough information (17.9%). Approximately 80% did not know that some serious digestive diseases can also be present without any pain, thereby increasing the risk of being diagnosed at a later date.

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Many experts have stated that the majority of colorectal tumors develop from pre-cancerous growths (polyps). Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that can be treated if detected early on, primarily through screening. Many symptoms are associated with changes in bowel habits, including blood in the stool, abdominal pain, fatigue, and weight loss without cause.

The study shows that if there is greater awareness of colorectal cancer as well as faster access to care, improved nutrition, regular exercise and routine screening; these factors could help lower the rate of increase in colorectal cancer rates in India.