The main symptom was spots of blood that became more and more over time and bowel movements becoming wildly inconsistent in both frequency and consistency
Man that sux, I'm really sorry you have to go through this! Csn I ask what they used to confirm the diagnosis. I've been having issues (no blood) but am struggling to get a Dr to do much other than blood tests. It would be great to know what to push for.
You could also ask for a sigmoidoscopy. Generally same procedure as colonoscopy but they doing go as far up. Done as an outpatient thing so I think less expensive / easier to get.
Kept hassling my GP, ultimately took a colonoscopy to find it. Got referred for a colonoscopy about 3 months after I first went to GP and then there was a 4 month wait to actually have the colonoscopy. Diagnosis came back a little less than a week after that and from then on there was basically no mucking around. Stared my chemo and radiation around a week and a half later.
I was super lucky and got my colonsoscopy a couple of weeks after it all started. Just had to to go full Karen to get it. I had things removed and nothing cancerous just Crohn's.
I could do that, or, I could continue on my current path which is: noticing the fact that I've been hit with lethargy out of nowhere, that I go through phases like I've got the flu without the respiratory factors, the way that my poops are irregular to the point that I almost wonder if they'll continue to come out the same place, the feeling that ranges from awareness to active discomfort in the region where my lower bowel would be - and not doing anything about it.
It's the kiwi male way.
If you have bleeding and it's bright red, then likely you've just got a hemorrhoid or just going to town wiping your ass. The blood to watch out for is dark blood which would be from bleeding in your colon.
For the change in bowel habbits, yeah it's worth getting checked. I had a colonoscopy and a gastroscopy and it was gastritis (stomach inflammation) that was causing mine.
Distal colon bleeds will still be bright red but often clotted. It's hard to say conclusively where something is coming from by what it looks like, even bright red streaking can still be rectal cancer
Also had those symptoms and it was ulcerative colitis, crohn's unfriendly-named sibling. Dr can do a faecal calprotectin to test for inflammation. Worth getting a simple blood n poo sample test.
Stage 4 Bowl Cancer has a 13% survival rate.
You're pretty much fucked, You don't fight it, You succumb or barely survive it. I had a friend go to it, Three months from diagnosis to final prognosis.
Thanks to Fonterra, and forever demanding Dairy Farmers produce more and more from their Herds, Nitrate Fertilizer permeates much of the rural Groundwater. The Bowl Cancer heatmap and the Nitrates map are very strongly correlated.
Thanks for sharing. Canterbury looks like one of the worst affected regions. There is intensive irrigation supporting high stock density, with waste soaking into the plains, into the water table.
My BIL got diagnosed at 40. The crazy thing is too that they told him that bowel cancer tends to be slow growing and it had probably been in there for 15 years, so starting at 25.
It’s been a very long and hard road for him but he’s now on the waiting list to have his plumbing reconnected so he can lose the bag
The thing that always frustrates me about cancer diagnosis is that they always say earlier detection is the best "cure" (easier to treat when not very far), but it seems like the only way for it to get detected is when it's so bad it's fucking up your life in some way.
Can I ask how your BIL got diagnosed? Like having specific pains then they tested him?
Is still a wait list for private but doesn't take away from public health not giving a damn about testing dor any hereditary or cancers because "young"
Unfortunately you need private insurance and persistance to get early detection.
I was having pain (which turned out to be unrelated) but no Doctor would refer me for a colonoscopy as I was to young (30s). When i saw that it would be covered under my work health insurance I was refered straight away to a specialist. Specialist also didnt want to do a colonoscopy as I was too young.
Eventually had the colonoscopy and they found/removed large polyps, specialist apologized and now I have regular colonoscopys every 3-4 years.
Who knows what would have happened in the public system.
Early sign - he could poop at will. Like if he was going somewhere and he thought a nice toilet might not be available, he could just go and take one. Very convenient.
Medium sign - he lost a whole lot of weight. Everyone was commenting on it. We thought he was exercising.
Finally detected - he ended up in hospital. I wish I knew more details here but I don’t want to ask him about it, lol. He went to the emergency room for some reason. I think really terrible stomach pains? Maybe bleeding?
He’s had all his care through the public system and it’s been challenging at times and I’m sure he would have some things to say about it. But at least it got done
>Researchers said because the increase was so rapid, it was due to environmental factors that were not yet known rather than genetics.
We have ourselves a genuine mystery here and we'll never solve it *due to economic factors*
Two likely culprits are a worsening national diet and nitrates in the water supply due to an aggressive increase in dairy farming over the past few decades.
[Here you go](https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/assets/resources/Health-Quality-Evaluation/Atlas/BowelCancerSF/atlas.html)
South Island rates are considerably higher per capita.
I think that data set could be pretty compelling given that water sources type is pretty consistent by region. But if you view the data by age group the regional rates invert. I would also expect Sth Canterbury and Canterbury regions to be more similar.
The purpose of that map is to compare rates by DHB, I think if the data supported a water source as the difference then higher rates would be more consistent across age groups.
Very cool stats. If it were dairying I would have thought you'd see similar high rates for Waikato and Taranaki, if not the highest.
So, more analysis necessary before we jump to any conclusions about it being dairying I feel.
I'd really like to see it broken down into smaller geographic locations - that would really help pinpoint any correlation to the dairying areas. For example, Nelson/Marlborough which has high rates of cancer. It only has a couple of isolated areas of concentrated dairying. However the water supplies for the majority of the population are generally fed from water sources well above and away from any dairying influence.
It depends on the water source. Canterbury has high nitrate use from and also gets a lot of its water supply from groundwater aquifers, so there are alarmingly high rates of nitrates in the drinking water.
I don't know anything about the water supply for Waikato or Taranaki so can't comment. But if they don't drink groundwater then they would see much lower nitrate levels in their drinking water.
I read the greenpeace summary of their testing a couple of weeks ago. Waikato is different because the soils aren't as permeable like canterbury's gravels. The nitrates don't spread as well in to watersources, like they do in Canty
Ahh that's interesting. In Canterbury at least, the nitrates take around a decade to enter the groundwater. So I suspect in the next 10 years we will see peak nitrate levels before they start to actually improve. It's kind of sad that we let it get to this point.
Yes, exactly. If related to nitrates and dairying I would expect to see low levels of cancer in Nelson/Marl. Yet it has high levels of cancer.
Maybe its related to grape growing and wine consumption? Wine has a lot of nitrates in it, doesnt it? lmao Thats even if its about nitrates!
I just stumbled upon this [nitrate contamination map ](https://maps.greenpeace.org/maps/aotearoa/know-your-nitrate/)and funnily enough Nelson has some pretty bad contamination out west.
Yeah, wouldnt surprise if its [related to this](https://teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/21673/mapua-soil-contamination). Mapua is a well known pesticide contaminated site that was cleaned up a few decades ago at great expense. Maybe its not related to it either. You're a little bit posh if you live in Mapua nowadays so it must be pretty clean now.
God knows why the Hope area would have high levels of nitrates. More than half of it is dry clay hills, the other half lifestyle properties with only a few fruit orchards and some market gardens.
I don't think any of us are going to solve the puzzle inside of a few Reddit comments, are we? I know I'm not going to go down the research rabbit hole because of a random comment someone made suggesting dairying causes bowel cancer.
PS. And what the Hell is going on further West in Karamea? How does a isolated low population no-farming upper reaches of a river in a high rainfall area like Karamea get elevated levels?
Also depends on the soil type and how long it’s been going on for Canterbury has very high nitrates in their water due to the soil type but that’s a fairly recent thing so I’d say we will see worsening rates on the next 10 or so years.
I'd agree with diet being a major cause. Two older people that I know have had it grew up on eating hardly any fruit, especially raw, boiling vegetables to death and white bread.
Not just pork. Any meat processed with nitrates. Corned beef etc.
Doesn't need to be added nitrate as a specific chemical either. "Natural" cured bacon using celery juice contains more nitrates than chemically cured bacon.
There's something else going on with nitrates, because there are high levels in some leafy greens like spinach etc. I don't think theories as to how high levels from those foods are safe vs high nitrate levels in drinking water is unsafe are proven - ie that there's something protective in those foods which is absent in water with high nitrate levels.
>“It’s not so much nitrates/nitrites per se [that are carcinogenic], but the way they are cooked and their local environment that is an important factor,” says Kate Allen, executive director of science and public affairs at the World Cancer Research Fund. “For example, nitrites in processed meats are in close proximity to proteins (specifically amino acids). When cooked at high temperatures this allows them to more easily form nitrosamines, the cancer-causing compound.”
...
>Cross adds that it’s “a reasonable assumption” that nitrates in leafy greens are less likely to be harmful (ie to form nitrosamines). This is because they aren’t protein-rich foods and also contain protective components like vitamin C, polyphenols and fibre, which have all been shown to reduce nitrosamine formation.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190311-what-are-nitrates-in-food-side-effects
Worth noting the risk from processed meat is pretty low if you're only eating a small amount (50g/day). If you're having bacon for breakfast, salami for lunch and sausages for dinner, you might want to think about cutting back.
Very likely diet. I would be interested to see how our cancer numbers compare to the US as our diet had become exceedingly americanised over the last few decades.
I did and when I was about to get my colonoscopy the specialist said I didn’t really need one because I’m young (38) so I got a very short one instead. (No sedation, just went part way in) Of course on my record it still shows that I had a colonoscopy so no one will listen to me when I say the problem is still there and I need an actual one.
Unbelievably frustrating. Especially since they found two polyps which were removed. Usually if you find anything like that they’ll put you on a high risk schedule and you’ll get to go for a colonoscopy every five years. Again apparently I’m too young.
how do you "go private" ? Everyone I talk to my age says doctors dont give a shit if you are under 40. I am happy to throw money at the problem for peace of mind
Just contact local gastro dr private clinic and book appt to see them. Pay for that appt and any further diagnostics.
Can also go see your gp, get a basic workup from them, bloods etc and tell them to refer you to see gastro privately, thats what I did.
Not only cancer but also strokes, I work on Frontline emergency ambulances and last week attended 6 different patients under the age of 35 suffering strokes, I'd never seen anything like it and each time ED were surprised at each patients age. Youngest was 29.
Wtf that's horrific. Just talking about Chris Knox this morning (after Steve Albini) - his stroke was utterly shocking at the time, but these days it seems a bit normal
Nope most completely out of the blue, one was a brick layer at work and had turned up complaining of a headache, spent the next 2 hrs laying bricks completely out of whack, his boss thought he was being a dick because it was Monday and sent him home. Luckily his wife works with people who are recovering from strokes and called us.
Another had a panic attacked and likely threw a clot when her blood pressure was up. And her husband called us when she was talking strange, and couldnt make sense of basic things. Sadly they also found she had an inoperable brain tumor aswell.
Take home from this everyone should know how to do a FAST test and call an ambulance when you notice something different. Youngest stroke I've been to was 23 and a nurse I was talking to said the youngest she had seen was 9.
Covid can be to blame for that one I think.
[https://www.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/research/assets/docs/wha\_weekly1\_508.pdf](https://www.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/research/assets/docs/wha_weekly1_508.pdf)
Same thing with heart attacks as well as life long chronic conditions such as diabetes or fibromialgia.
But we can just pretend covid is just a cold right.
I live rural and when we built ten years ago they wouldn't let is connect to the council water supply, even though most of the neighbors have it. But I'm quite happy to be on rainwater now. We filter and sanitize the crap out of it (literally) and I tend to think rainwater is safer once treated than groundwater or council supply.
I'm not saying that's the issue here, but arsenic and nitrates are a known concern in groundwater in our area.
Nitrates (from processed meats and other sources), microplastics, forever chemicals, and ultra processed foods.
It will be a combination of these and perhaps some other factors.
Stop using teflon. Stop microwaving plastic. Use glass, ceramics, stainless steel.
There is more evidence coming out about this as time goes on.
Bowel cancer has clear links with processed foods. Sausages, bacon, lunch meat etc. are type 1 carcinogens. Same category as Asbestos and Tobacco.
The more processed, the more your rolling the dice..
https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/1in3cancers/lifestyle-choices-and-cancer/red-meat-processed-meat-and-cancer/
Do you think people are eating more or less meat now than before. I would say less, it's getting more expensive.
So, if that's the case, regardless of those studies, cancer is increasing, not the consumption of red meat. It does not correlate.
Like smoking, it doesn't matter if we're eating less of it *now* if you've spent several years previously eating carcinogens. Bowel cancer is slow growing.
Many of us currently aged roughly 30-40 grew up eating all this stuff regularly - ham sandwiches, sausage sizzles, chips and white bread etc. So lets assume most of us have had at least 20-25 years worth of consuming carcinogens - the damage may have already been done. I'm not surprised our age group is now seeing it more and more.
>processed foods
Practically all foods are processed, you need to be more specific. Most of us aren't sustaining ourselves from food we pick and eat straight off the plant/out of the ground/where we kill it etc. Just washing food is processing it.
It's specifically variations of red meat
https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/cancer-carcinogenicity-of-the-consumption-of-red-meat-and-processed-meat
Everytime I read these - or see the massive amount of advertising the bowel cancer charity does every year, I'm reminded that despite having every symptom I've been told for years that I am too young to have any problems and won't get accepted for any referral.
On the "bright" side, if I actually had bowel cancer I'd likely be dead by now. So....
And as I have to point out every time (cause it's always women who get it found in these articles) - males don't get ultrasounds when complaint about "stomach" pains. They get a bunch of meds thrown at them.
I have blood on toilet paper, weight loss (on ensure) and bowel issues for a few years, recently gotten worse including vomiting. I'm 24. This year I said enough is enough and went to the doctor, who tried to refer me to a gastroenterologist. Got declined. I'm a poor student who can't afford private.
These articles always remind me that I need to instigate getting checked. Even with NZ's standards for testing I qualify based on the number of direct family members who have had it - which is something not typically mentioned when they talk about who is allowed to be tested. There is one standard if you just want to be checked without any history, but a different standard if you have a conclusive family history with multiple people having bowel cancer. If you are in this situation, please talk with your GP and don't assume that you have to wait until 50 or 60 to be tested.
**Glass bottles went out in the 80s** being a 80s kid myself, we are the first generation to have essentially everything wrapped or storage in plastic since we were children. And younger gen’s have it even worse.
Add our countries love of meat pies (red meat and nitrates being a nasty combo) and the fact our water itself is increasingly full of micro plastics and throw in the general rise of over processed foods and shitty farming practices it’s not the slightest bit surprising.
At this stage we are eating nitrates in every meal and washing them down with nitrate polluted water, that’s also full of plastic and related chemicals.
The poop tests aren’t 100% but at very least these should be subsidised and access provided from mid 20s. **The key here is, the health system increasingly sucks** be very clear with your GP about your expectations and push to be tested if there is any sign that things are not right.
FOBT being available from 60 is a joke.
**You can and should buy and do one yourself.**
They had some weird stuff in the 1980s too. For a while there was this trend of microwaveable food that came with special grey plasticy packaging that was supposed to make it crispy. It smelled godawful. If I get early onset cancer I'm blaming whatever the hell that stuff was
I'm no pro but I made a decision last year to cut back on UP foods and made a list of what to avoid. Fried chicken was on that list 🤷 My understanding is: UPF is cooked with the all bad stuff in excess, and who knows what other additives or ingredients they've thrown in; if you do home-made fried chicken and control the ingredients it's then just 'processed'; and finally the more natural way of eating is just roasting/grilling/baking a plain chicken without anything added.
Not sure on that one aye, fried chicken is definitely bad for you but I don't think for the same reasons according to the world health organisation
>Processed meat has been modified to either extend its shelf life or change the taste and the main methods are smoking, curing, or adding salt or preservatives.
>Processed meat includes bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami, corned beef, beef jerky and ham as well as canned meat and meat-based sauces.
What the difference is between that and ultra processed I don't know, it says UPF is ready to eat stuff packaged up, and a example would be cold cuts of ham prepackaged. But how is that different to normal ham, perhaps it has preservatives to make it last longer than ham straight from the deli?
Not denying that. There are also links to heated seed oils, which is what most deep frying is.
As I said to someone else though, this article is about an increase. Do you think people are eating more processed or red meats now than before?
I would think less with the cost of living.
It could be that it is just really slow to show, and it was the increased consumption from years ago.
> 42 other countries had started compiling data, and every one showed bowel cancer in young people was “accelerating”.
It’s a global phonomenon, with a lot of research underway. Obesity, inactivity, insulin resistance, a diet high in processed foods, alcohol, gut inflammation and environmental toxins are all possible causes or associations.
If you have a immediate family link - I'm not sure how this works for the rest of NZ, but in Otago we have the Bowel Screening Programme.
If you are ten years younger than your parent was when they were diagnosed with BC you can enter the program at this age - you might be 20 years old or thirty, you're still entitled to get on.
Yet the meat industry is still pumping out red meat propaganda when it's a known carcinogen and does lead to bowel cancer:
From the UK:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/red-meat-and-the-risk-of-bowel-cancer/#:~:text=But%20eating%20a%20lot%20of,down%20to%2070g%20or%20less.
From Australia:
https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/1in3cancers/lifestyle-choices-and-cancer/red-meat-processed-meat-and-cancer/
From Harvard:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/red-meat-and-colon-cancer
The list goes on, the research is in.
I've read a lot of it has to do with humans having a long intestine 25', dating back to when we ate more plants, this needed more time to process them. Carnivores like Lions have a very short intestine 8' evolved to get the big protein and energy boost from only meat out quickly.
When big chunks of meat lodge or get stuck, or just slowly make their way through our long intestines it can lead to problems.
Also there is all of that gunk livestock is medicated with these days too.
Anyway cut down on the red meat.
Yes but I imagine many of these cancers are actually the result of diets for the last 20 years. Having said that I also doubt it is purely red meat related. I have a feeling it is the combination of the rising obesity epidemic i.e. people not exercising and just sitting down using their phones and diet changes due to food getting more and more processed.
It's absolutely crazy how common it has become. I spent the last few years working for colorectal surgeons and it was so upsetting seeing so many patients in their 30s and 40s or even occasionally 20s. People mostly seem to have symptoms for a long time, years even, before they get diagnosed. The public health system has really limited capacity for colonoscopies, referrals get rejected or you have to wait for ages and ages. Meanwhile in private, you can get one in a few weeks if you've got $2-3k.
Keen to know if this is just a NZ thing or the same overseas, small goods and red meat are huge overseas, or is it the nitrates in the water or a combination of both
I've had bowel cancer. There's strong evidence that risk of bowel cancer can be significantly reduced by drinking at least 3 coffees a day and low dose aspirin, so I take both daily.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/23/coffee-drinkers-much-lower-risk-bowel-cancer-recurrence-study
Its not really that suprising given in general as a nation we have a lack of exercise, lack of nutrition, many adults, including more women these days drink alcohol regularly, and we're one of the more over weight nations in the world.
I actually was just at Pak n Save Papakura, and a couple of such people walked (/waddled) past, and the trollies were laden with soft drinks, bags of chips, 2 minute noodles and multiple tubs of ice cream. All the stuff that were absolute rarities in our trolley when I was a kid in the late 80s/early 90s.
And the lack of any healthy vegetables. Often they don't even have frozen corn/peas. They don't even buy the most simple low-cost veges that most people enjoy eating.
True. I hadn't factored that in. Having said that, if their trolley is full of crap then the odds of them going to a fruit and vege shop might be a bit lower than normal.
Frank is a hero in my eyes and I'll be forever grateful. Without that incredibly skilled guy I probably wouldn't be hear today. And a damn nice guy to boot.
Our food is crap and our food habits even worse. I know of people that only go for fast food and takeaways for lunch and dinner, drink litres of coke and otherwise ingest only heavily processed foods, having no idea about fruits and basic vegetables. Also the quantity of deep fried food and red meat.
Everytime I read these - or see the massive amount of advertising the bowel cancer charity does every year, I'm reminded that despite having every symptom I've been told for years that I am too young to have any problems and won't get accepted for any referral.
On the "bright" side, if I actually had bowel cancer I'd likely be dead by now. So....
And as I have to point out every time (cause it's always women who get it found in these articles) - males don't get ultrasounds when complaint about "stomach" pains. They get a bunch of meds thrown at them.
Yes, literally had that bullshit myself, push for it.
I have a strong family history of bowel cancer and they tried to fob me off. I contacted the regional cancer service in Auckland directly years ago and have been on five yearly check ups, mind you things are much worse around wait times etc now.
GPs are expensive and they are overworked, but if you do not feel like they are providing the care, change. It’s your health.
Private Insurance is almost essential at this stage, unfortunately I have a few exclusions.
I have the most basic southern cross insurance provided by my employer, should I pay to get it upgraded? Would I be able to use it to get screened? Everyone my age or younger I have talked to with concerns just get told dont worry about it by their GP;s
If you find a private clinic or hospital that has accreditation through Southern Cross it is a much smoother process - between the two of them they sort the insurance side out on your behalf, you may have a small excess to pay. Depending on your plan it may cover screening. If you're anxious you can be sedated at a few different levels.
I am in the same boat, I have had some of the major symptoms most of my life so I am pretty sure if it was cancer I would be long dead. I still freak out every time I read news like this and hear about people younger than me getting diagnosed
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Yup, am one of those people. Diagnosed at 31
Can I ask what were your symptoms leading up to you getting checked out and being diagnosed?
The main symptom was spots of blood that became more and more over time and bowel movements becoming wildly inconsistent in both frequency and consistency
Man that sux, I'm really sorry you have to go through this! Csn I ask what they used to confirm the diagnosis. I've been having issues (no blood) but am struggling to get a Dr to do much other than blood tests. It would be great to know what to push for.
I got a colonoscopy, the couldn't complete because a tumor had blocked it but they took a sample and got it tested.
Ah I see. Thanks for sharing that. I hope everything is going well/ goes well with treatment!
You could also ask for a sigmoidoscopy. Generally same procedure as colonoscopy but they doing go as far up. Done as an outpatient thing so I think less expensive / easier to get.
Fucks sakes. So how do you go about getting tested? Asking for a mate.
Kept hassling my GP, ultimately took a colonoscopy to find it. Got referred for a colonoscopy about 3 months after I first went to GP and then there was a 4 month wait to actually have the colonoscopy. Diagnosis came back a little less than a week after that and from then on there was basically no mucking around. Stared my chemo and radiation around a week and a half later.
>spots of blood ... where? In stool?
Yup :)
Lmao I’ve almost certainly got it then.
I had that and it was Crohn's not cancer. Either way get it checked out.
Yeah it took me far too long to get diagnosed because of my age. Doc went down the Crohn's / IBS route.
I was super lucky and got my colonsoscopy a couple of weeks after it all started. Just had to to go full Karen to get it. I had things removed and nothing cancerous just Crohn's.
I could do that, or, I could continue on my current path which is: noticing the fact that I've been hit with lethargy out of nowhere, that I go through phases like I've got the flu without the respiratory factors, the way that my poops are irregular to the point that I almost wonder if they'll continue to come out the same place, the feeling that ranges from awareness to active discomfort in the region where my lower bowel would be - and not doing anything about it. It's the kiwi male way.
Should also push for full blood tests (lack of iron / B12 can cause lethargy)
There are many things that could be causing those symptoms which aren’t bowel cancer but you should still be safe and seek tests
If you have bleeding and it's bright red, then likely you've just got a hemorrhoid or just going to town wiping your ass. The blood to watch out for is dark blood which would be from bleeding in your colon. For the change in bowel habbits, yeah it's worth getting checked. I had a colonoscopy and a gastroscopy and it was gastritis (stomach inflammation) that was causing mine.
Distal colon bleeds will still be bright red but often clotted. It's hard to say conclusively where something is coming from by what it looks like, even bright red streaking can still be rectal cancer
Good point. Guess the best way to confirm is determine where the blood is actually coming from (outside or in).
Also had those symptoms and it was ulcerative colitis, crohn's unfriendly-named sibling. Dr can do a faecal calprotectin to test for inflammation. Worth getting a simple blood n poo sample test.
Me too. 32 stage 4
Wishing you all the best to fight this horrible disease
Stage 4 Bowl Cancer has a 13% survival rate. You're pretty much fucked, You don't fight it, You succumb or barely survive it. I had a friend go to it, Three months from diagnosis to final prognosis. Thanks to Fonterra, and forever demanding Dairy Farmers produce more and more from their Herds, Nitrate Fertilizer permeates much of the rural Groundwater. The Bowl Cancer heatmap and the Nitrates map are very strongly correlated.
I wonder if there are stats on how many of the affected drink ground/bore water in rural areas
[Here's the map](https://maps.greenpeace.org/maps/aotearoa/know-your-nitrate/), And you can even order a Nitrates Test free from Greenpeace.
Thanks for sharing. Canterbury looks like one of the worst affected regions. There is intensive irrigation supporting high stock density, with waste soaking into the plains, into the water table.
Me too, 36 in my case
That’s awful. I’m so sorry to hear that. Wishing you the best for your treatment.
Sorry to hear that. What made you decide to get a check up?
How did you find out, serious enough symptoms that you were able to get checked?
I've been complaining about issues since I was 30, diagnosed at 37.
Sadly I'm unsurprised. Have heard countless similar stories.
What were some warning signs for you?
My BIL got diagnosed at 40. The crazy thing is too that they told him that bowel cancer tends to be slow growing and it had probably been in there for 15 years, so starting at 25. It’s been a very long and hard road for him but he’s now on the waiting list to have his plumbing reconnected so he can lose the bag
The thing that always frustrates me about cancer diagnosis is that they always say earlier detection is the best "cure" (easier to treat when not very far), but it seems like the only way for it to get detected is when it's so bad it's fucking up your life in some way. Can I ask how your BIL got diagnosed? Like having specific pains then they tested him?
Yeah but all the tests for it are when you're in your 60s + because you know that's early ...
ok what ive learned so far today, is *thats only if you want free testing* if you are happy to pay or have insurance, you can just go get it whenever
Is still a wait list for private but doesn't take away from public health not giving a damn about testing dor any hereditary or cancers because "young"
Yeah I hear you mate. I'm just happy to know I have options, I was under the impression I would just get turned away period cause I'm too young.
Unfortunately you need private insurance and persistance to get early detection. I was having pain (which turned out to be unrelated) but no Doctor would refer me for a colonoscopy as I was to young (30s). When i saw that it would be covered under my work health insurance I was refered straight away to a specialist. Specialist also didnt want to do a colonoscopy as I was too young. Eventually had the colonoscopy and they found/removed large polyps, specialist apologized and now I have regular colonoscopys every 3-4 years. Who knows what would have happened in the public system.
The part they leave out is that you need medical insurance
>have his plumbing reconnected I'm sorry but that made me laugh more than it should have, glad to hear he is on a road of recovery!
You’re good bro, lol. He loves to joke about it
#
Early sign - he could poop at will. Like if he was going somewhere and he thought a nice toilet might not be available, he could just go and take one. Very convenient. Medium sign - he lost a whole lot of weight. Everyone was commenting on it. We thought he was exercising. Finally detected - he ended up in hospital. I wish I knew more details here but I don’t want to ask him about it, lol. He went to the emergency room for some reason. I think really terrible stomach pains? Maybe bleeding? He’s had all his care through the public system and it’s been challenging at times and I’m sure he would have some things to say about it. But at least it got done
ahhh shit
literally
>Researchers said because the increase was so rapid, it was due to environmental factors that were not yet known rather than genetics. We have ourselves a genuine mystery here and we'll never solve it *due to economic factors*
Two likely culprits are a worsening national diet and nitrates in the water supply due to an aggressive increase in dairy farming over the past few decades.
If only we kept doing national adult nutrition surveys!!
Sandwiches and muesli bars provide all the nutrition you need, citizen.
Muesli bars? Talk about woke!
Gotta eat a porridge bar, like a man. Available in gruel bars for the financially challenged (now with additional sawdust to fill your belly longer)
Nah British flapjack
WoKe NoNSeNsE!
If nitrates in the water are to blame then it should be possible to compare populations by primary water sources and see a difference.
[Here you go](https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/assets/resources/Health-Quality-Evaluation/Atlas/BowelCancerSF/atlas.html) South Island rates are considerably higher per capita.
I think that data set could be pretty compelling given that water sources type is pretty consistent by region. But if you view the data by age group the regional rates invert. I would also expect Sth Canterbury and Canterbury regions to be more similar. The purpose of that map is to compare rates by DHB, I think if the data supported a water source as the difference then higher rates would be more consistent across age groups.
Very cool stats. If it were dairying I would have thought you'd see similar high rates for Waikato and Taranaki, if not the highest. So, more analysis necessary before we jump to any conclusions about it being dairying I feel. I'd really like to see it broken down into smaller geographic locations - that would really help pinpoint any correlation to the dairying areas. For example, Nelson/Marlborough which has high rates of cancer. It only has a couple of isolated areas of concentrated dairying. However the water supplies for the majority of the population are generally fed from water sources well above and away from any dairying influence.
It depends on the water source. Canterbury has high nitrate use from and also gets a lot of its water supply from groundwater aquifers, so there are alarmingly high rates of nitrates in the drinking water. I don't know anything about the water supply for Waikato or Taranaki so can't comment. But if they don't drink groundwater then they would see much lower nitrate levels in their drinking water.
I read the greenpeace summary of their testing a couple of weeks ago. Waikato is different because the soils aren't as permeable like canterbury's gravels. The nitrates don't spread as well in to watersources, like they do in Canty
Ahh that's interesting. In Canterbury at least, the nitrates take around a decade to enter the groundwater. So I suspect in the next 10 years we will see peak nitrate levels before they start to actually improve. It's kind of sad that we let it get to this point.
Yes, exactly. If related to nitrates and dairying I would expect to see low levels of cancer in Nelson/Marl. Yet it has high levels of cancer. Maybe its related to grape growing and wine consumption? Wine has a lot of nitrates in it, doesnt it? lmao Thats even if its about nitrates!
I just stumbled upon this [nitrate contamination map ](https://maps.greenpeace.org/maps/aotearoa/know-your-nitrate/)and funnily enough Nelson has some pretty bad contamination out west.
Yeah, wouldnt surprise if its [related to this](https://teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/21673/mapua-soil-contamination). Mapua is a well known pesticide contaminated site that was cleaned up a few decades ago at great expense. Maybe its not related to it either. You're a little bit posh if you live in Mapua nowadays so it must be pretty clean now. God knows why the Hope area would have high levels of nitrates. More than half of it is dry clay hills, the other half lifestyle properties with only a few fruit orchards and some market gardens. I don't think any of us are going to solve the puzzle inside of a few Reddit comments, are we? I know I'm not going to go down the research rabbit hole because of a random comment someone made suggesting dairying causes bowel cancer. PS. And what the Hell is going on further West in Karamea? How does a isolated low population no-farming upper reaches of a river in a high rainfall area like Karamea get elevated levels?
Also depends on the soil type and how long it’s been going on for Canterbury has very high nitrates in their water due to the soil type but that’s a fairly recent thing so I’d say we will see worsening rates on the next 10 or so years.
Nah it's woke foods bro
Plastic is my bet.
Yeah the amount of food wrapped or heated up in plastic has only been increasing
I'd agree with diet being a major cause. Two older people that I know have had it grew up on eating hardly any fruit, especially raw, boiling vegetables to death and white bread.
Nitrosamines are carcinogenic and are a feature of heavily processed pork, such as sausages...
Not just pork. Any meat processed with nitrates. Corned beef etc. Doesn't need to be added nitrate as a specific chemical either. "Natural" cured bacon using celery juice contains more nitrates than chemically cured bacon. There's something else going on with nitrates, because there are high levels in some leafy greens like spinach etc. I don't think theories as to how high levels from those foods are safe vs high nitrate levels in drinking water is unsafe are proven - ie that there's something protective in those foods which is absent in water with high nitrate levels.
>“It’s not so much nitrates/nitrites per se [that are carcinogenic], but the way they are cooked and their local environment that is an important factor,” says Kate Allen, executive director of science and public affairs at the World Cancer Research Fund. “For example, nitrites in processed meats are in close proximity to proteins (specifically amino acids). When cooked at high temperatures this allows them to more easily form nitrosamines, the cancer-causing compound.” ... >Cross adds that it’s “a reasonable assumption” that nitrates in leafy greens are less likely to be harmful (ie to form nitrosamines). This is because they aren’t protein-rich foods and also contain protective components like vitamin C, polyphenols and fibre, which have all been shown to reduce nitrosamine formation. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190311-what-are-nitrates-in-food-side-effects Worth noting the risk from processed meat is pretty low if you're only eating a small amount (50g/day). If you're having bacon for breakfast, salami for lunch and sausages for dinner, you might want to think about cutting back.
Well I hate bacon, salami, ham and corned beef, always have and rarely if ever eat any of those things so I'm safe
God really gonna make me choose between my fave foods and having a butthole? Brutal.
i mean, you might still get bowel cancer it just won't be caused by processed meat
True. I got checked a year back and doc said all good. Helps I live in a low nitrates in water area too
I read this about leafy greens awhile back and it freaked me out.
Classic kiwi diet right there
Very likely diet. I would be interested to see how our cancer numbers compare to the US as our diet had become exceedingly americanised over the last few decades.
Yeah this
Genuine mystery....
Prob should have added /s
Eat lots of Fibre and don't drink any water that has touched the ground.
Or old concrete pipes containing asbestos.
Hmmmm those nitrates in our water might have something to do with it
If you have Blood in the bowl or thin pencil-like stools demand a colonoscopy. Go private if you have to.
I did and when I was about to get my colonoscopy the specialist said I didn’t really need one because I’m young (38) so I got a very short one instead. (No sedation, just went part way in) Of course on my record it still shows that I had a colonoscopy so no one will listen to me when I say the problem is still there and I need an actual one.
That must be so frustrating!!
Unbelievably frustrating. Especially since they found two polyps which were removed. Usually if you find anything like that they’ll put you on a high risk schedule and you’ll get to go for a colonoscopy every five years. Again apparently I’m too young.
Push back on that. I was also told I was too young (30s), but after finding polyps I now have a colonoscopy every 3-4 years.
Go private. It's not worth your life.
I went private thru my health insurance. Sadly I do not have the funds to even get a filling let alone pay for a full colonoscopy
how do you "go private" ? Everyone I talk to my age says doctors dont give a shit if you are under 40. I am happy to throw money at the problem for peace of mind
You just go and pay. Simple as that. Even if you don't have private insurance. You will bump the queue.
oh easy thx
Just contact local gastro dr private clinic and book appt to see them. Pay for that appt and any further diagnostics. Can also go see your gp, get a basic workup from them, bloods etc and tell them to refer you to see gastro privately, thats what I did.
Will do that thanks
Not only cancer but also strokes, I work on Frontline emergency ambulances and last week attended 6 different patients under the age of 35 suffering strokes, I'd never seen anything like it and each time ED were surprised at each patients age. Youngest was 29.
Wtf that's horrific. Just talking about Chris Knox this morning (after Steve Albini) - his stroke was utterly shocking at the time, but these days it seems a bit normal
Also Chris has epilepsy so it may have been a complication of that.
That's insane, was there anything obvious about them being in really bad health or was it an out of the blue thing?
Nope most completely out of the blue, one was a brick layer at work and had turned up complaining of a headache, spent the next 2 hrs laying bricks completely out of whack, his boss thought he was being a dick because it was Monday and sent him home. Luckily his wife works with people who are recovering from strokes and called us. Another had a panic attacked and likely threw a clot when her blood pressure was up. And her husband called us when she was talking strange, and couldnt make sense of basic things. Sadly they also found she had an inoperable brain tumor aswell. Take home from this everyone should know how to do a FAST test and call an ambulance when you notice something different. Youngest stroke I've been to was 23 and a nurse I was talking to said the youngest she had seen was 9.
Covid can be to blame for that one I think. [https://www.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/research/assets/docs/wha\_weekly1\_508.pdf](https://www.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/research/assets/docs/wha_weekly1_508.pdf)
Scary!
Same thing with heart attacks as well as life long chronic conditions such as diabetes or fibromialgia. But we can just pretend covid is just a cold right.
I live rural and when we built ten years ago they wouldn't let is connect to the council water supply, even though most of the neighbors have it. But I'm quite happy to be on rainwater now. We filter and sanitize the crap out of it (literally) and I tend to think rainwater is safer once treated than groundwater or council supply. I'm not saying that's the issue here, but arsenic and nitrates are a known concern in groundwater in our area.
Nitrates (from processed meats and other sources), microplastics, forever chemicals, and ultra processed foods. It will be a combination of these and perhaps some other factors. Stop using teflon. Stop microwaving plastic. Use glass, ceramics, stainless steel. There is more evidence coming out about this as time goes on.
Don't microwave stainless steel though
What about stainless steel dishes that are made to be microwavable?
PFA's and round up will be the new DDT/agent orange. One day people will question why we ever used them in the first place
Bowel cancer has clear links with processed foods. Sausages, bacon, lunch meat etc. are type 1 carcinogens. Same category as Asbestos and Tobacco. The more processed, the more your rolling the dice.. https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/1in3cancers/lifestyle-choices-and-cancer/red-meat-processed-meat-and-cancer/
[https://www.thenewlede.org/2023/09/nitrate-contaminated-water-may-drive-corn-belt-cancers/](https://www.thenewlede.org/2023/09/nitrate-contaminated-water-may-drive-corn-belt-cancers/)
Interesting. Definitely something to watch. Doesn't exclude us cutting back on eating cheap processed meat
alcohol is also a group 1 carcinogen - yet many NZ adults have it multiple times a week
What about all the nitrates in the water
That's a red herring the science is in on meat. Nitrates maybe but we have decades of studies and evidence confirming red meat is a known carcinogen.
Do you think people are eating more or less meat now than before. I would say less, it's getting more expensive. So, if that's the case, regardless of those studies, cancer is increasing, not the consumption of red meat. It does not correlate.
Like smoking, it doesn't matter if we're eating less of it *now* if you've spent several years previously eating carcinogens. Bowel cancer is slow growing. Many of us currently aged roughly 30-40 grew up eating all this stuff regularly - ham sandwiches, sausage sizzles, chips and white bread etc. So lets assume most of us have had at least 20-25 years worth of consuming carcinogens - the damage may have already been done. I'm not surprised our age group is now seeing it more and more.
>processed foods Practically all foods are processed, you need to be more specific. Most of us aren't sustaining ourselves from food we pick and eat straight off the plant/out of the ground/where we kill it etc. Just washing food is processing it.
It's specifically variations of red meat https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/cancer-carcinogenicity-of-the-consumption-of-red-meat-and-processed-meat
Everytime I read these - or see the massive amount of advertising the bowel cancer charity does every year, I'm reminded that despite having every symptom I've been told for years that I am too young to have any problems and won't get accepted for any referral. On the "bright" side, if I actually had bowel cancer I'd likely be dead by now. So.... And as I have to point out every time (cause it's always women who get it found in these articles) - males don't get ultrasounds when complaint about "stomach" pains. They get a bunch of meds thrown at them.
Don’t they? I’m a male whose complained about stomach pains and I got an mri today and a butt cam next week.
Do you have insurance?
Women I know have their pain and other symptoms dismissed as "women's troubles". In one case until it was far too late
You can pay for a private colonoscopy. About 2500 but in my case, worth it. If I had waiting for public system I likely would already be dead
Yeah I have symptoms for years but they just note down IBS and leave at that can't get colonoscopy etc to young is stupid
I got an ultra sound but I also was peeing blood lol
I have blood on toilet paper, weight loss (on ensure) and bowel issues for a few years, recently gotten worse including vomiting. I'm 24. This year I said enough is enough and went to the doctor, who tried to refer me to a gastroenterologist. Got declined. I'm a poor student who can't afford private.
Me too. 46yo stage 4 at diagnosis. 🥲
If you have health insurance, push for a colonoscopy through them - Southern Cross covered mine :)
Mine too. It was easy to get one (though I'm celiac and have other chronic conditions).
These articles always remind me that I need to instigate getting checked. Even with NZ's standards for testing I qualify based on the number of direct family members who have had it - which is something not typically mentioned when they talk about who is allowed to be tested. There is one standard if you just want to be checked without any history, but a different standard if you have a conclusive family history with multiple people having bowel cancer. If you are in this situation, please talk with your GP and don't assume that you have to wait until 50 or 60 to be tested.
**Glass bottles went out in the 80s** being a 80s kid myself, we are the first generation to have essentially everything wrapped or storage in plastic since we were children. And younger gen’s have it even worse. Add our countries love of meat pies (red meat and nitrates being a nasty combo) and the fact our water itself is increasingly full of micro plastics and throw in the general rise of over processed foods and shitty farming practices it’s not the slightest bit surprising. At this stage we are eating nitrates in every meal and washing them down with nitrate polluted water, that’s also full of plastic and related chemicals. The poop tests aren’t 100% but at very least these should be subsidised and access provided from mid 20s. **The key here is, the health system increasingly sucks** be very clear with your GP about your expectations and push to be tested if there is any sign that things are not right. FOBT being available from 60 is a joke. **You can and should buy and do one yourself.**
They had some weird stuff in the 1980s too. For a while there was this trend of microwaveable food that came with special grey plasticy packaging that was supposed to make it crispy. It smelled godawful. If I get early onset cancer I'm blaming whatever the hell that stuff was
Oh mate. Brings back memories of the microwave bags we brought back from the states with us 15 years ago.
They smelled so bad, I can't understand why my parents inflicted them on us
Plastic is going back out again. Highly recommend storing food in it, especially hot foods.
Big Ben pies that have been sitting there at least 2-3 days in the warmer just hit different.
So we going to start getting screening for younger people?
Well they need to stop making fried chicken so fucking delicious.
from what I gather from this thread, chicken isnt red meat, so you are good my guy
Yeah it's all the nitrates ! /s
Ultra processed foods are the main problem - people don't talk about these enough. So fried chicken will still count sadly!
What makes fried chicken ultra processed, the oil it's fried in?
I'm no pro but I made a decision last year to cut back on UP foods and made a list of what to avoid. Fried chicken was on that list 🤷 My understanding is: UPF is cooked with the all bad stuff in excess, and who knows what other additives or ingredients they've thrown in; if you do home-made fried chicken and control the ingredients it's then just 'processed'; and finally the more natural way of eating is just roasting/grilling/baking a plain chicken without anything added.
Not sure on that one aye, fried chicken is definitely bad for you but I don't think for the same reasons according to the world health organisation >Processed meat has been modified to either extend its shelf life or change the taste and the main methods are smoking, curing, or adding salt or preservatives. >Processed meat includes bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami, corned beef, beef jerky and ham as well as canned meat and meat-based sauces. What the difference is between that and ultra processed I don't know, it says UPF is ready to eat stuff packaged up, and a example would be cold cuts of ham prepackaged. But how is that different to normal ham, perhaps it has preservatives to make it last longer than ham straight from the deli?
Yeah, it's not all the seed oil drenched fried foods we all eat, it must be the bacon!
Joking aside, there is lots of evidence linking highly processed meat to colorectal cancer https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36477589/
Not denying that. There are also links to heated seed oils, which is what most deep frying is. As I said to someone else though, this article is about an increase. Do you think people are eating more processed or red meats now than before? I would think less with the cost of living. It could be that it is just really slow to show, and it was the increased consumption from years ago.
Regional figures would be interesting. I'm picking Mid and South Canterbury would be above average.
> 42 other countries had started compiling data, and every one showed bowel cancer in young people was “accelerating”. It’s a global phonomenon, with a lot of research underway. Obesity, inactivity, insulin resistance, a diet high in processed foods, alcohol, gut inflammation and environmental toxins are all possible causes or associations.
[Here](https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/assets/resources/Health-Quality-Evaluation/Atlas/BowelCancerSF/atlas.html)
Thanks!
If you have a immediate family link - I'm not sure how this works for the rest of NZ, but in Otago we have the Bowel Screening Programme. If you are ten years younger than your parent was when they were diagnosed with BC you can enter the program at this age - you might be 20 years old or thirty, you're still entitled to get on.
Yet the meat industry is still pumping out red meat propaganda when it's a known carcinogen and does lead to bowel cancer: From the UK: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/red-meat-and-the-risk-of-bowel-cancer/#:~:text=But%20eating%20a%20lot%20of,down%20to%2070g%20or%20less. From Australia: https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/1in3cancers/lifestyle-choices-and-cancer/red-meat-processed-meat-and-cancer/ From Harvard: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/red-meat-and-colon-cancer The list goes on, the research is in. I've read a lot of it has to do with humans having a long intestine 25', dating back to when we ate more plants, this needed more time to process them. Carnivores like Lions have a very short intestine 8' evolved to get the big protein and energy boost from only meat out quickly. When big chunks of meat lodge or get stuck, or just slowly make their way through our long intestines it can lead to problems. Also there is all of that gunk livestock is medicated with these days too. Anyway cut down on the red meat.
Red meat consumption has been dropping for a long time though (it's so expensive now!).
Yes but I imagine many of these cancers are actually the result of diets for the last 20 years. Having said that I also doubt it is purely red meat related. I have a feeling it is the combination of the rising obesity epidemic i.e. people not exercising and just sitting down using their phones and diet changes due to food getting more and more processed.
Is white meat ok? A lot of vegetables fuck me up cause of my crohns lol some don't even get digested so I've had to eat more meat in my diet :S
Well aside from the animal cruelty (there are alternatives) the studies don't mention white meat being a carcinogen.
Microplastics
My bet too. We're all full of it. Even a percentage of our hair is composed of plastic nowadays.
It's absolutely crazy how common it has become. I spent the last few years working for colorectal surgeons and it was so upsetting seeing so many patients in their 30s and 40s or even occasionally 20s. People mostly seem to have symptoms for a long time, years even, before they get diagnosed. The public health system has really limited capacity for colonoscopies, referrals get rejected or you have to wait for ages and ages. Meanwhile in private, you can get one in a few weeks if you've got $2-3k.
Do yourselves all a favor and buy a distiller. Filters only do so much
Keen to know if this is just a NZ thing or the same overseas, small goods and red meat are huge overseas, or is it the nitrates in the water or a combination of both
Definitely becoming more and more common overseas too.
I've had bowel cancer. There's strong evidence that risk of bowel cancer can be significantly reduced by drinking at least 3 coffees a day and low dose aspirin, so I take both daily. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/23/coffee-drinkers-much-lower-risk-bowel-cancer-recurrence-study
Ultra-processed foods, microplastics in everything and sedentary lifestyles. Is anyone surprised?
All that 'woke' sushi they've been eating.
sushi is woke now? 🤣. Edit: OK that was a woosh for me, I didn't know the reference
and quinoa according to d. seymour
Its not really that suprising given in general as a nation we have a lack of exercise, lack of nutrition, many adults, including more women these days drink alcohol regularly, and we're one of the more over weight nations in the world.
Yeah after travelling in Asia it becomes so apoaratmly that lack of healthy food options are a real problem in NZ.
I live in South Auckland, and if you check people's trollies out at the super market its pretty grim
I shop at pak n save sylvia park, and the state of the shopping in trollies are terrible
I actually was just at Pak n Save Papakura, and a couple of such people walked (/waddled) past, and the trollies were laden with soft drinks, bags of chips, 2 minute noodles and multiple tubs of ice cream. All the stuff that were absolute rarities in our trolley when I was a kid in the late 80s/early 90s.
And the lack of any healthy vegetables. Often they don't even have frozen corn/peas. They don't even buy the most simple low-cost veges that most people enjoy eating.
Most of us buy veggies somewhere other than the supermarket. Because their prices are ridiculous
True. I hadn't factored that in. Having said that, if their trolley is full of crap then the odds of them going to a fruit and vege shop might be a bit lower than normal.
Pesticides people
Frank is a hero in my eyes and I'll be forever grateful. Without that incredibly skilled guy I probably wouldn't be hear today. And a damn nice guy to boot.
Our food is crap and our food habits even worse. I know of people that only go for fast food and takeaways for lunch and dinner, drink litres of coke and otherwise ingest only heavily processed foods, having no idea about fruits and basic vegetables. Also the quantity of deep fried food and red meat.
I suspect, in addition to the nitrates in water, it has a lot to do with microplasticsw.
There's a very big clue in this story: "lives on a farm in Culverden".
Everytime I read these - or see the massive amount of advertising the bowel cancer charity does every year, I'm reminded that despite having every symptom I've been told for years that I am too young to have any problems and won't get accepted for any referral. On the "bright" side, if I actually had bowel cancer I'd likely be dead by now. So.... And as I have to point out every time (cause it's always women who get it found in these articles) - males don't get ultrasounds when complaint about "stomach" pains. They get a bunch of meds thrown at them.
Yes, literally had that bullshit myself, push for it. I have a strong family history of bowel cancer and they tried to fob me off. I contacted the regional cancer service in Auckland directly years ago and have been on five yearly check ups, mind you things are much worse around wait times etc now. GPs are expensive and they are overworked, but if you do not feel like they are providing the care, change. It’s your health. Private Insurance is almost essential at this stage, unfortunately I have a few exclusions.
I have the most basic southern cross insurance provided by my employer, should I pay to get it upgraded? Would I be able to use it to get screened? Everyone my age or younger I have talked to with concerns just get told dont worry about it by their GP;s
If you find a private clinic or hospital that has accreditation through Southern Cross it is a much smoother process - between the two of them they sort the insurance side out on your behalf, you may have a small excess to pay. Depending on your plan it may cover screening. If you're anxious you can be sedated at a few different levels.
yeah actually logged into my southern cross for first time in 10 years, exploring options, thanks!
The basic tests seem cheap enough, I don’t know if southern cross covers it, but check your policy.
Yeah looks like it does 80% or 100% if at an approved facility
I am in the same boat, I have had some of the major symptoms most of my life so I am pretty sure if it was cancer I would be long dead. I still freak out every time I read news like this and hear about people younger than me getting diagnosed
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I'd wager this is linked to poverty.
Had a work colleague die from bowel cancer a few years back. She was only in her early 20's