A mother-of-two from Manchester, Rebecca Gibson, has been diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer, five years after she first started showing symptoms. In 2018, Rebecca began experiencing bleeding, but her GP dismissed it as internal piles. Despite contacting her GP multiple times, she was repeatedly told that her symptoms could be attributed to internal piles. Rebecca later began experiencing severe stomach pain, sulphur-smelling burps, and fatigue, prompting her to undergo a colonoscopy in January last year. It was during this procedure that doctors discovered a 10cm tumor and diagnosed her with stage four cancer.

Rebecca expressed her concerns about the lack of support from her GPs, stating that despite flagging her symptoms and pushing for an urgent coloscopy, she was not referred for years. By the time of her colonoscopy, she had a strong suspicion that it was cancer. The devastating news of a 10cm tumor that had perforated her bowel and spread left her in shock, as she had not been prepared for such a diagnosis.

Initially told that her cancer was inoperable, Rebecca started chemotherapy. However, last summer, surgeons were able to remove the tumor and her ovaries as the cancer had spread. Subsequent tests revealed that the cancer was terminal, leaving Rebecca and her family facing a difficult journey ahead.

Rebecca’s case highlights the importance of timely and thorough medical investigation, raising questions about whether her cancer could have been diagnosed earlier. She has sought legal advice to investigate whether more could have been done to diagnose her cancer sooner.

Rebecca’s story serves as a reminder of the significance of attentive and proactive healthcare, and the potential impact of delayed diagnoses on patients’ lives.