UK Woman Dies Of Bowel Cancer After Initial Symptoms Mistaken For Indigestion

A 76-year-old woman in the UK died just three days after being diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer. Initially, her symptoms, which included changes in bowel habits and frequent toilet trips, were mistakenly attributed to food intolerances. According to the Daily Mail, Maria Paszkiewicz suddenly fell ill in 2023 and died within eight months of the diagnosis. 

Maria Paszkiewicz's doctor initially attributed her symptoms to a food intolerance, suggesting she was unable to digest certain foods properly. Her daughter, Anne-Marie, claimed no doctor considered the possibility of something more serious. After pushing for a blood test, doctors discovered bowel cancer that had spread to her liver. Ms Paszkiewicz began chemotherapy and initially showed promising progress.

After completing chemotherapy, the cancer rapidly returned, and no further treatments were effective. In April, Ms Paszkiewicz was told she had only 3-6 months to live, but she died just three days later, with daughter Anne-Marie by her side. 

"After that initial prognosis, we spent the next few days calculating how long three months was, and milestones were coming up, and what we could do as a family. But we didn't get to do any of that. It was a huge shock to the system," her daughter Anne-Marie said. 

Ms Marie has now started a JustGiving campaign to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, a charity that holds special significance for her, in memory of her mother.

Bowel Cancer

Bowel cancer is the second most common form of cancer in the UK, claiming around 17,000 lives annually. Only half of those diagnosed are expected to survive for ten years. There's growing concern about the rising incidence of bowel cancer among people under 50, with a 36% increase in diagnoses between 2007 and 2017. Experts speculate that this trend may be linked to factors like ultra-processed food consumption, pollution, and exposure to toxic plastics. Projections suggest bowel cancer deaths in the UK could rise by 2,500 per year by 2040.

Common symptoms include:

• Changes in bowel movements (diarrhoea or constipation)
• Increased or decreased frequency of bowel movements
• Blood in stool
• Stomach pain or bloating
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue