38-year-old man discovered he had a rare bowel cancer because of this symptom

Dave Paxton, a 38-year-old man from Staffordshire, UK, discovered he had a rare bowel cancer after, during a casual conversation, he told a pharmacist that the appearance of his stool had changed.

According to local media reports, the citizen monitored the color of his excrement for several days, having noticed it getting darker on previous occasions.

Although the situation seemed unusual to the patient, the warning signs became more evident when he went to a nearby pharmacy to buy some medication to treat his anxiety.

Before making the payment, Paxton started chatting with the local pharmacist, who casually asked him about his daily routine, to which the man commented that the appearance of his poop was something that confused him.

After listening to the client's story, the chemist suggested he see a professional for a checkup to rule out any problems with his digestive system or his diet.

In this regard, the patient decided to schedule an appointment with his primary care physician, where he underwent some tests that revealed duodenal cancer , a rare condition that usually affects the small intestine.

To determine the extent of the disease, specialists performed a CT scan on the patient, which revealed that he had a grade four squamous cell tumor that had spread to other parts of his body.

However, doctors were unable to provide the man with any further information, as the mass growing inside his body had developed into the lining of his small intestine, making his case one of only 22 confirmed cases worldwide.

Despite Paxton's complex health condition, doctors advised him that the best course of action was chemotherapy and radiation therapy to prevent the tumor from growing further and compromising other vital organs.

Although the diagnosis took the Briton by surprise, he emphasized that he is very grateful to the person who suggested he go to the hospital, as he believes that if he hadn't followed that advice, his situation would be worse.

DIGITAL REACH EDITORIAL