Science may have reached the wonderland, but people are still waiting for the sure-shot cure of cancer. It’s a disease that has the capacity to break a person from the inside out. That’s why every time there is some new information related to it, it spreads like a wildfire. This time its Colon cancer.
A TikTok video and a Unilad article have spotlighted an unusual symptom of colon cancer: “pencil‑thin” stool. It may be unusual, but it is a crucial symptom. The viral account features a young woman named Radwah Oda.
The accompanying commentary emphasizes how this subtle warning sign was initially dismissed as benign. However, it was revealed to be a late-stage diagnosis. It also serves as a reminder of how fast colon cancer is becoming common among adults under 50. In her video, Oda explained that what she thought was the symptom of constipation turned out to be colon cancer, and the symptom she discussed was how her stool gradually became narrow, like a pencil.
“My excuse at the time was that it must be constipation,” she said. But over time, there were other changes that came up that were worrisome. There was blood in her stool, she was always tired and fatigued. There was also a constant feeling of her bowel not being completely empty. It is known in medical terms as tenesmus.
For months MDs dismissed her pain as constipation, then found she had a perforated bowel and stage 4 colon cancer at 27.
‘We don’t know what’s driving this. It never used to happen in this age group, now a very significant rise in 20, 30 & 40 year olds are getting colon cancer.’ pic.twitter.com/2rzuwQqsTI
— Jammer (@acrossthemersey) July 22, 2025
Frequent bowel movements are often attributed to a less serious condition, such as IBA or haemorrhoids. All these symptoms combined raised a red flag that at a later stage became an oncology diagnosis.
The narrowing of the stool happens when the colon is blocked due to tumor growth along its walls. While an occasional episode of such stool is not alarming, a persistent or progressive change should get medical attention as quickly as possible.
These symptoms of fatigue, abdominal or chest discomfort, and persistent bowel habit changes are often dismissed in younger patients. This happens even when blood is present in the stool. But now, public health researchers are warning that colon cancer rates are increasing sharply among adults under 50.
It has been recently reported that there has been an increase in the proportion of adults under 54 diagnosed with colon cancer. There are many young patients who are either misdiagnosed or are not taken seriously due to their young age. This includes Brooks Bell and Sarah Beran. Such patients are then diagnosed during stage 3 or stage 4, when it is already very late.
Beran’s and Oda’s story shows the need to take symptoms seriously. And why doctors must listen to their patients and not dismiss them just because of their age. This also explains why doctors must suggest a colonoscopy early, just at the onset of symptoms.
There are other warning signs that must be taken seriously. Based on multiple case studies and clinical reports, there are symptoms often misattributed to benign causes. These are the ones that warrant prompt medical evaluation if persistent:
Blood in stool or rectal bleeding
Changes in stool shape/size, such as pencil-thin or ribbon-like consistency (as experienced by Oda).
Chronic fatigue or persistent tiredness even after adequate sleep
Feeling of incomplete bowel evacuation (“never fully empty”)
Unexplained abdominal or chest pain, possibly signaling metastasis — Oda experienced pain near her breast, later traced to cancer spread to her liver.
Oda now urges others to advocate for their health. She says don’t wait for a positive test if symptoms persist and don’t make sense.
Doctors widely recommend a colonoscopy or further GI evaluation if red-flag symptoms persist for more than a few weeks. These include blood in stool or consistent pencil-thin stool. As survival rates dramatically improve with earlier detection, timely action can make all the difference.
