{"url":"https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15706345/bowel-cancer-symptoms-doctor-advice-diagnosis-health.html","title":"Bowel cancer hits young and peri-menopausal women as GPs dismiss signs","domain":"dailymail.co.uk","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/6542721/pexels-photo-6542721.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"woman with bowel pain","category":"Lifestyle","language":"en","slug":"960cc66d","id":"960cc66d-1e7c-40fe-b753-71bf101fdbe6","description":"Leeanne Davies-Grassnick, diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer at 38, shares her story as cases rise in young and peri-menopausal women.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- Leeanne Davies-Grassnick, diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer at 38, shares her story as cases rise in young and peri-menopausal women.\n- Dismissive GPs often mistake symptoms like pain and bowel changes for age-related or hormonal issues, delaying diagnosis.\n- Readers must push for tests on persistent symptoms since bowel cancer now leads cancer deaths in under-50s in some areas.[[1]](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15706345/bowel-cancer-symptoms-doctor-advice-diagnosis-health.html)[[2]](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgxpv9k822o)\n\n## The story at a glance\nA Daily Mail article by health reporter Meike Leonard profiles Leeanne Davies-Grassnick, who developed stage 4 bowel cancer four months after giving birth at age 38, amid a rise in cases among young adults and peri-menopausal women. It blames dismissive GPs for worsening outcomes by overlooking symptoms in these groups. This comes as UK data show bowel cancer rates up 51% in 25-49 year-olds since the early 1990s.[[2]](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgxpv9k822o)\n\n## Key points\n- Leeanne noticed sharp rib pains on holiday in Corfu, April 2022, blaming them on carrying her four-month-old son Caspar; pains worsened with nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and fatigue.[[3]](https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/how-we-can-help/real-life-stories/younger-people-with-bowel-cancer/leeanne-davies-grassnick,-london)\n- Her doctor wife Emma felt an enlarged liver; A&E CT scan showed liver lesions, leading to colonoscopy confirming colon tumour spread to liver (15cm tumour), aggressive BRAF mutation.\n- No GP dismissal in her case—she went straight to A&E—but article highlights GPs telling young/peri-menopausal women symptoms are \"just hormones\" or \"IBS.\"\n- UK under-50s bowel cancer incidence up around 50% since 1990s; now leading cancer death cause for some under-50s groups per recent studies.[[2]](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgxpv9k822o)[[4]](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15664085/Bowel-cancer-leading-cause-cancer-death-50s-new-figures-reveal.html)\n- Common symptoms: persistent bowel habit changes (diarrhoea/constipation), blood in stool, abdominal pain, bloating, unexplained weight loss, fatigue.\n- Leeanne on ongoing chemo (FOLFOXIRI + Avastin); tumours responding but not curable yet; uses diet, yoga for support.\n\n## Details and context\nBowel cancer in under-50s is rising globally, with UK rates for 25-49 year-olds up 51% and under-24s by 75% since early 1990s; causes unclear but linked to low-fibre/high-fat diets, processed meats, gut bacteria changes, microplastics.[[2]](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgxpv9k822o)\n- Young women often attribute pain/bloating to periods, pregnancy, or perimenopause; peri-menopausal hormonal shifts mask bowel changes as \"normal.\"\n- Cases like 22-year-old Milli Tanner show GPs dismissing symptoms 13 times as \"too young\"; she self-tested for stage 3 diagnosis.[[5]](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/27/young-patient-ignored-bowel-cancer)\n- NHS screening starts at 50-52 with FIT tests; under-50s rely on GP referral for urgent scopes if symptoms persist 3+ weeks.\n- Leeanne's story underscores need for symptom diaries (Bowel Cancer UK tool) to track changes and press doctors.\n\n## Key quotes\nLeeanne Davies-Grassnick: \"I had every sign. We have to learn what to look for.\"[[1]](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15706345/bowel-cancer-symptoms-doctor-advice-diagnosis-health.html)\n\n## Why it matters\nBowel cancer's shift to younger ages, especially women, challenges old assumptions and raises alarms over delayed diagnoses from bias. People under 50 with ongoing bowel changes, blood, or pain should see GP urgently and insist on tests, as early catch boosts survival. Watch for expanded screening trials or new risk factors, though causes remain uncertain.[[2]](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgxpv9k822o)","hashtags":["#bowel","#cancer","#young","#people","#health","#gps"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15706345/bowel-cancer-symptoms-doctor-advice-diagnosis-health.html","title":"Original article"},{"url":"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgxpv9k822o","title":""},{"url":"https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/how-we-can-help/real-life-stories/younger-people-with-bowel-cancer/leeanne-davies-grassnick,-london","title":""},{"url":"https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15664085/Bowel-cancer-leading-cause-cancer-death-50s-new-figures-reveal.html","title":""},{"url":"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/27/young-patient-ignored-bowel-cancer","title":""}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-06T19:36:08.049Z"}