A Scots man says his aggressive bowel cancer was missed by doctors because he was 'too young'.
Mark Newberry, 41, visited an out of hours service and his GP twice in the days leading up to his shock diagnosis where he was told he was suffering from a stomach ulcer and colic.
Mark, from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire said: “I had been having irregular bowel movements for a few months but didn’t think much about it.
"But in the week leading up to my diagnosis, I had bad stomach pains, was unable to keep any food down and felt lethargic.
"I went to an out of hours clinic at the end of November 2017, where I was told I had a stomach ulcer.
"I saw my GP the next day, who told me it was colic, then two days later I visited the same practice where I was told the same again.
"But that evening, my wife Sophie forced me to go to A&E as I was in so much pain. I had an x-ray and was kept in hospital overnight."
Two days later dad-of-two Mark was diagnosed with stage four cancer and and was rushed for an emergency operation.
He was later told by doctors the tumour had blocked his bowel and the cancer had spread.
Mark added: "It was a lot to get my head around in such a short space of time.
“Bowel cancer wasn’t something which had even crossed my mind, even though my grandfather had died from the disease years ago."
Mark had eight cycles of chemotherapy over six months and suffered some of the nasty side effects, including sensitivity to cold and tingling in his hands.
Concerned about his initial missed diagnosis, Mark asked his GP why it had happened.
He added: "After my diagnosis, I asked my GP practice why it was missed.
"I was told that it wouldn’t have even been on their radar that I had bowel cancer because I was only 38.”
Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive at Bowel Cancer UK, says: “It’s incredibly concerning that doctors continue to rule out the disease for people who visit with classic red flag symptoms, telling them they’re too young to have bowel cancer.
Symptoms which should be investigated include bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo, a persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit, unexplained weight loss, extreme tiredness for no obvious reason, and a pain or lump in your stomach.
Ms Edwards added: "Nobody should be told they don’t have bowel cancer based only on their age, and referrals for further investigation should be made as soon as possible.
"Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK, but it’s treatable and curable, especially when diagnosed early.
"It’s vital that people can recognise the signs of bowel cancer and know it isn’t a disease which only affects older people."
