Published on
Updated
Reading 3 mins.
In the United States, a 24-year-old young woman did not understand why she had been suffering from untimely burping for several months. It was actually a symptom of the development of stage 3 colorectal cancer.
5-10 burps a day for months
The story may seem unusual, yet it has a medical interest. According to information from New York Post, Bailey McBreen, a 24-year-old American nurse in surgery suffered from… burping, which kept coming back. “I could burp between 5 and 10 times a day” she tells the media.
“It was not normal for me. I almost never burped before. That’s when I thought something was wrong” she continues.
A tumor was pressing on the digestive tract
The young woman, uncomfortable with these untimely symptoms, is worried. In February 2022, when gastric reflux is added to burping, she decides to consult her doctor. But the health professional only sees an anxiety disorder.
It is only in January 2023, when pains “atrocious”, constipation and loss of appetite are also felt that she finally goes to the emergency room. Bailey McBreen learns that she has stage 3 colon cancer and that a tumor is blocking her large intestine. Fortunately for her, as she testifies on her Instagram page, the team manages to operate on the tumor. The young woman is continuing her chemotherapy until next August, and is trying to use her experience to raise awareness of colorectal cancer.
Burping, possible symptoms of colorectal cancer?
Should burps worry us and predict colon cancer? We asked the question to Pr Michel Ducreux, head of the gastrodigestive committee of the Gustave Roussy cancer research center.
“It’s not a common symptom at all, the only explanation is that the tumor here must have narrowed the digestive tract a bit, in a bit of a stenosing fashion, and caused the contents of the digestive tract to build up. The stomach draining little, the air then rises from the top. But we cannot say that it is indicative of the symptom of colon cancer. The telltale symptom is the presence of blood in the stool. This is what should invite consultation in the first place, without waiting.”
Other signs, which relate to intestinal transit, may also require consultation: constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stools narrower than usual or painful and ineffective efforts to expel stools.
“These are all the symptoms related to transit, but which are unusual, for a person who normally had a bowel movement for example… And who can no longer do so. This story of unusual burps can fit into this framework.
In this context, only the prescription of a colonoscopy can then give a precise diagnosis, and detect if this is the case, colon cancer, or even a polyp which could evolve into cancer.
Who are the people most at risk?
As a reminder, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in France, after prostate cancer. Responsible for more than 17,000 deaths per year, it nevertheless heals in nine out of ten cases if caught in time.
Screening organized in France concerns men and women aged 50 to 74. Most of the time, colorectal cancer appears after the age of 50. However, other factors should invite you to consult in the event of unusual symptoms:
- Having a polyp;
- A personal or family history of colon or rectal cancer;
- An unhealthy lifestyle (unbalanced diet, overweight, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, etc.);
- Already suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel disease.