Bowel Cancer NZ's new report lays bare the realities of 350 people under 50 living with the disease.
It’s the second deadliest cancer in New Zealand, and the leading cause of cancer death among people under the age of 50.
Every year around 3,300 New Zealanders are diagnosed and 1,200 die from the disease, despite it having a cure rate of over 90% when caught early.
The Never Too Young report found more than half of those surveyed didn't know the symptoms prior to diagnosis, and many faced delays in diagnosis.
Bowel Cancer NZ Chief Executive Peter Huskinson told Kerre Woodham if the screening age was lowered to 45, it would go a long way to catch the majority of people with early onset bowel cancer.
He says that way they’d be caught by the screening, rather than waiting for symptoms to develop.
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