Holding Stool: Risks & Colon Cancer Concerns - Expert Advice

Question
QUESTION: hi there. im 18 years old & every since i was a young child i had a bad habit of holding in my bowel movements. does this lead to colon cancer? i have a bad diet. i feel doomed. a doctor told me there is no relationship between holding in bowel movements and colon cancer, is this true? i am very concerned. im having alot of intestinal problems & im now horrified that i pre-disposed myself to colon cancer by holding in my bowel movements. some online sites say there is a relationship. please let me know.

ANSWER: Hi Britt,
There is absolutely no relationship between holding BM's and cancer. You will have problems with normal bowel function if you don't get this problem squared away though.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: oh i thought it could cause it because waste sits in the colon longer. my diet is very bad & my great grandfather had colon cancer at 72 but i guess that's not relevant. im only 18.
ANSWER: Hi Britt, Nope, don't worry about that at all.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: i guess my problems are due to IBS then. my bowel movements are all loose now & they're watery too. i have abdominal pain. the doctor wanted to do a colonscopy but everyone feels im too young. what do you think? he wanted to rule out IBD (crohns and UC) but i had a full blood work up done & im guessing that if i truly had IBD some abnormalties would've shown up. i had a full cbc with differential, a platelet count, ALT, AST, bilirubin direct, albumin, creatinine, glucose, thyroid & a few others tests done. if i had crohn's or uc wouldn't my white blood cells be elevated or something?

Answer
Hi Britt,
Your white count would be elevated only during an acute flare up. A colonoscopy is a good idea given what you are experiencing. I trust that the "everybody" of which you speak are not doctors, correct? Don't let outsiders, however well intentioned, confuse the issue for you even more. You and your doctor should be making these decisions. A diagnosis needs to be made so that you can get these symptoms under control.
My Best!