Hello. I am so scared and hope to hear some positivity from anyone that has been in a similar situation. 12 days ago I spotted some dark red mucousy blood in my poo. I went to the doctors immediately. I was expecting to hear “your only 31, it won’t be cancer, keep an eye on it” kind of thing, but it was actually taken really seriously which I appreciated but makes me even more scared.
The doctor checked for tears or haemorrhoids - nothing. She also checked my abdomen for lumps - also nothing. She took my blood and gave me a pot for a stool sample and a FIT test.
The blood test showed everything was normal except for ‘serum transferrin’ which was abnormally low. The stool sample showed no infections, and the FIT test was >400!!!
I don’t have any symptoms like weight loss or tiredness or change to bowel movements. I get bloated and get a sore tummy & bad lower back/side pain but nothing else - I feel like it’s pointing to cancer and it’s 3 weeks until I’ll be seen for a colonoscopy- please can anyone offer any reassurance?!
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Thank you for posting in Colon Cancer Connected. I'm sorry that these symptoms are causing you to be scared. It was two weeks ago you discovered "dark red mucousy blood" in your poo. You did the absolute correct thing by going and getting it checked out. I'm glad your doctors have taken steps to get you some answers. First of all, the fact you already knew you had blood in your stool would mean you'll definitely get a positive FIT test. This should not be a surprise.
There are many causes for blood in the stool, some are very treatable with medication, diet change, and minor procedures, and of course, there are more serious reasons for blood in the stool as well. For that reason, we always advise patients to seek medical care when they have blood in the stool. You and your doctor are handling this very well.
Another good thing is it looks like you've been checked out pretty thoroughly. That's great. Since the reason for the bleeding couldn't be determined, the next step is definitely the colonoscopy. I'm not sure why the colonoscopy is 3 weeks out. Perhaps you can keep calling scheduling to see if any openings have been made available. Maybe ask if there are other location options that would move the procedure up?
In my case, I didn't have any blood in my stool. I was ignoring some abdominal issues which I definitely paid the price for. You are way ahead of the game and getting checked out early. I had bowel movement changes and abdominal tenderness. By the time I got checked out I had stage 4 metastatic colon cancer where the colonoscopy scope couldn't get by the obstruction. I had surgery a few days later. I ignored a lot of symptoms. You are not. You are all over this. You are getting answers early. You should feel good about that!!!!
I'm proud of you as you are addressing this early. You are young. Yes. But you experienced some symptoms and jumped on it to get some answers. I'm proud of you wanting to get those answers. Please focus on that. You are doing things the best way possible.
We do wish you all the best and hope your results are very positive for you. Please keep us up to speed as you find things out. You never know what can help others.
Thank You,
~Tom, GCCA Survivor - Colon Cancer Connected Site Administrator.
Just a reminder - this group is here to offer support, share experiences, and offer our thoughts - but this is not medical advice, and you should always consult your medical professional(s). Additionally, for all emergencies, seek urgent medical care, never delay.
Hello Tom! Thank you for your reply & support.I was expecting the FIT test to come back positive as it was very obvious it was blood I was seeing - I just wasn’t expecting it to be so so high! Do you think that makes it more likely to be cancer?
I’m so sad to hear about your own diagnosis, that must’ve been very hard to hear. I hope you’re doing ok?
Hi, I don't think it makes it more likely to be cancer. It's a blood content measurement and you are getting it checked out. You're doing the right thing. It's a symptom and you need to know what's causing it.
And I'm doing fine. I like to focus on early detection and taking action early when symptoms arise. You're all over this. That's good to see.
Hi, I've been bleeding for past 20 years, FIT test results through the roof, yet all colonscopies/sigmoidoscopies/gastroscopies/ecographies and digital rectal examinations have been clear. I have no clue how does that work Low transferrin can be due to heavy periods if you are female. When it comes to cancer, severity of symptoms does not correspond with the diagnosis. The most severe symptoms can lead to diagnosis of functional issues and vice versa. Truth is that in your age group these symptoms are actually common, yet the prevalence of rectosigmoid neoplasms is very low. Yet, investigation is important not to rule out cancer, but to come to the bottom (pun intended) of these issues
Well done for getting looked. I had some dodgy stomach issues for 3-4 months. They'd come and go, and I kept delaying to go, then after a bad couple of days I got an appointment. I'm 34 by the way. Did the 2 samples and got a call less than a week later to say my FIT was high, and I'd been referred (my test FIT was 100).Had the colonoscopy 10 days ago and apart from some inflamation very low down they found nothing else. Took some biopsies which I'm still waiting for.
When I was told I asked if 3-4 months was too long to have reacted and she laughed saying some people wait years! So you've acted really early. good luck!
Hi Tom what sort of stomachs issues did you have as I have a colonoscopy next Tuesday but I’m 49 and have had bleeding on stool and change bowel habits and positive fit so I have nearly all the symptoms glad yours was okay
I'd not say I had much pain. I just had quite mucusy poo's and then suddenly the need to poo. And a bit of a distrust of farts! It was fine and not affecting my day to day life really, and I have quite an active life style. Occasionally it was more pinky than actual blood I'd say, but it was mainly on the days when I was having a lot of action.
Having read a lot, the FIT test score isn't going to tell you much. When I had the triage they said the other test (sorry I forget the name), did show there was some inflamation somewhere, which suggested it was less likely to be cancer and more likely to be an IBD.
Hello! Just thought I’d post an update on here in case somebody comes along with the same symptoms. I went for my colonoscopy this morning - they found a 45mm polyp - so pretty large, but have been reassured it looks benign. They can’t tell for sure of course until it’s removed and had a biopsy, but I’m definitely taking this as good news!Got to go back to get it removed - really don’t want to have to do the prep again, what an ordeal that is! But I’ll do as I’m told haha.
Goes to show a very high FIT score doesn’t always mean cancer!
awesome, I’m so happy for you. However make sure you’re in a regular colonoscopy cycle now every few years cos polyps can reoccur (and if left can turn non-benign in time) - just keep getting them removed. What a relief
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Low transferrin can be due to heavy periods if you are female. When it comes to cancer, severity of symptoms does not correspond with the diagnosis. The most severe symptoms can lead to diagnosis of functional issues and vice versa. Truth is that in your age group these symptoms are actually common, yet the prevalence of rectosigmoid neoplasms is very low. Yet, investigation is important not to rule out cancer, but to come to the bottom (pun intended) of these issues 
Questions about FIT test and symptoms
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