Man who had ‘no symptoms whatsoever’ credits routine bowel cancer screening test for saving his life

A North Lincolnshire dad who was diagnosed with bowel cancer after having no symptoms whatsoever has credited a simple screening test that arrived through the post for saving his life.

Dave Williams, 56, from Messingham, said he initially “put off” doing the NHS test for bowel cancer after it was posted to him. In November last year, the minimum age for receiving routine bowel cancer screening tests every two years was lowered from 60 to 54.

After his wife encouraged him to do the test, Dave subsequently received a letter informing him that he was being referred for a colonoscopy, a test which checks the inside of the bowels.

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I’ve been very lucky, I think someone up there must be looking after me. Several weeks later, Dave was given the “devastating” news that he had bowel cancer, and was forced to break the news to his wife and two daughters.

Speaking to Scunthorpe Live, Dave said: “I’d had no symptoms whatsoever and I felt absolutely fine. I put off doing the test at first but my wife encouraged me to do it, so I sent it off. About a week later, I got a letter to say that something wasn’t quite right and was referred for a colonoscopy.

“A few weeks after that, I had a call from Scunthorpe General Hospital asking me to go in, but I didn’t think anything of it and I went in on my own. I said to my wife, ‘it’ll be nothing’.

“Doctors told me they were very sorry but that I had bowel cancer. Anybody that hears that automatically thinks, ‘I’m going to die, this is the end’. I was devastated.

“I was told there was blood in my stools, but I never noticed it. I didn’t have stomach ache or anything and there were no changes to my bowel habits, so it was a big shock. The worst thing was telling my family. I’ve got two daughters and I explained to them that I’d be fine, but I just didn’t know.”

Two months after his diagnosis, in November last year, Dave underwent surgery to remove the tumour in his bowel. Luckily, because the cancer was caught early, he did not require any further treatment.

He now credits the screening test that arrived through the post as the thing that saved his life, and is encouraging everyone who receives the tests to do them, and for anyone with symptoms of bowel cancer to pay a visit to their GP.

“It just goes to show how important these tests are,” Dave said.

“They’re brilliant, so my advice to anyone would be not to discard them. Doctors told me that because bowel cancer is such a slow illness, if I hadn’t done the test, it could’ve taken another ten years before I started having symptoms, and then it might’ve been a little bit too late and I would’ve needed a lot more treatment.

“A lot of men notice something wrong and think, ‘I’ll be alright’, but I’d encourage anyone who is having symptoms or notice a change in their toilet patterns to go straight to their GP.

“I’ve been very lucky, and I think someone up there must be looking after me.”