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A woman diagnosed with bowel cancer after 13 GP visits and A&E attendances was repeatedly told she was too young to have the disease.
Millie Tanner, now 23, was initially informed that her symptoms were hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or menstrual problems, despite having a potentially malignant tumor.
Her health concerns began in June 2021 at the age of 19, including abdominal pain, lower back pain and blood in the stool.
“They said maybe I had gone out at night, drank too much alcohol and it was causing my stomach to burn,” she said.
“But is bleeding Continued, as well as stomach pain…continued.
“There were discussions at the GP, like: could it be my period? Could it be this, could it be that?
“And I said: ‘No, normally with menstruation, it may happen that you have a little abdominal pain about a week each month, and you have obvious bleeding, and that’s it, but there is no loss of blood from your back passage.’
“I continued to go to the GP. He referred me for an ultrasound to check for gallstones but it wasn’t the case, I had a session with a physiotherapist for the back pain and he said he couldn’t see anything wrong.
“And then it was almost thrown into the pile.
“By this time, I was tired all the time, and I was working full-time in a pub.
“They looked at it like, ‘Maybe that’s why you’re tired, you’re working long shifts and late nights.’
Between June 2021 and November 2023, Ms Tanner said she had 13 appointments with her GP, went to A&E and phoned NHS 111.
“I was also showing pictures of the amount of blood I was bleeding – every time I went to the toilet I was bleeding,” she said.
“I said: ‘It’s not a bit of blood on the tissue, it’s blood clots and water filling the toilet bowl.'”
At one point, during a visit to A&E, Ms Tanner was told to go back to her GP.
“I asked for a second opinion. The doctor came back into the room, said: ‘Okay, I’ve just spoken to another A&E department. You’re still very young. Are you happy?'”
Ultimately Ms Tanner ordered herself a stool immunochemical test (FIT), which looks for tiny traces of blood in the stool that could indicate bowel cancer.
The test was positive and Ms Tanner took her results to her GP.
However, it took several months for GPs to order the FIT test on the NHS.
Ms Tanner said: “The GP made a referral for a colonoscopy but I got a call to say there would be a 60-week wait for it.
“They were following NHS guidelines, and because I was under a certain age, obviously it couldn’t be done as required until they did their own FIT test.
“Once the GP ordered their own FIT test and it was positive, they were able to get it done immediately.”
At this point, Ms Tanner said she knew she had bowel cancer.
“I knew it was going to be bowel cancer. I knew deep down what it was,” she said.
“I did my own research. It was frustrating. I felt like I was going crazy.”
Ms Tanner, who works as a cleaner and is from Evesham, Worcestershire, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in November 2023 after an urgent colonoscopy.
She said: “I saw the mass immediately. I saw it on the screen, and I just said: ‘What’s that?'”
“And the doctor said: ‘It’s a tumor.’
“I said: ‘Is it cancer?’ And he said: ‘I’m really sorry.’
By this point, the cancer had spread to Ms. Tanner’s lymph nodes and was in Stage III.
bowel cancer symptoms
according to nhs
Bowel cancer symptoms may include:
- Changes in your stool, such as softening of stool, diarrhea or constipation that is not normal for you
- You are needing to have a bowel movement more or less often than usual
- blood in your stool, which may look red or black
- bleeding from under you
- Often feeling like you need to have a bowel movement, even if you’ve just gone to the toilet
- stomach pain
- a lump in your stomach
- Swelling
- lose weight without trying
- feeling very tired or short of breath – these are symptoms of anemia, which can be caused by bowel cancer
Ms Tanner decided to harvest her eggs because cancer treatment left her at risk of becoming infertile.
He also underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, surgery and was fitted with a permanent stoma.
While she has been left perimenopausal, Ms Tanner said her most recent CT scan and colonoscopy showed no signs of cancer.
She now wants to raise awareness about cancer among the youth.
She said: “It was such a big issue and stressful being diagnosed with. I had at least 20 health appointments, including 13 GP appointments and a trip to A&E where I was told I was too young to have cancer.
“I had always wanted to be a mother, so it was heartbreaking to learn that I could be infertile.
“I would tell people: You know your body better than anyone else.
“If it feels wrong, keep going back until you figure out what’s wrong.”
Amy Harding, director of services and impact at the Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Millie’s story, although extreme, is sadly not unique.
“From recent evidence and through the young people we support, we know that too often the path to a cancer diagnosis is challenging, painful and very long for young people who face delays in diagnosis.
“The National Cancer Plan for England has the potential to bring about the significant change needed for young people with cancer.
“However, this must include strong and targeted measures, including empowering primary care professionals to recognize cancer symptoms in young people.
“Although cancer is rare in this group, it should not be taken off the table because of the patient’s age.”
According to Cancer Research UK, rates of bowel cancer in teenagers and young people up to the age of 24 have increased by 74% since the early 1990s.
The Health Department has been contacted for comment.