Woman dies of bowel cancer after medics dismiss early signs for food intolerance

Maria Paszkiewicz, a 76-year-old woman, succumbed to a devastating bowel cancer within eight months of the diagnosis.

She was very rarely ill, but in 2023 she began experiencing a change in her bowel habits. Ms Paszkiewicz noticed that she had to use the toilet more frequently and often with some urgency, reported Daily Mail.

Concerned about the bowel issues, she consulted medics, who dismissed her symptoms for being likely caused by a reaction to food that she consumed. Her daughter Anne-Marie said no doctor had suggested her symptoms hinted at some condition which was much more serious.

'When this didn’t feel right, my mum had to push for a blood test to be done to ascertain what the issue really was,' said Anne-Marie.

Eventually, experts figured out the real issue. They found cancer in her bowel and it had spread to the liver. Chemotherapy was initiated immediately after the diagnosis and it seemed to have made some progress.

However, at the end of April last year, Ms Paszkiewicz was informed that she had just three to six months to live. But fate had other plans. She passed away three days later with her daughter by her side.

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

What is bowel cancer?

Bowel cancer means cancer that starts in the large bowel (colon) and the back passage (rectum). It is also known as colorectal cancer, as per Cancer Research UK.

Signs to look out for

As per NHS, symptoms of bowel cancer may include:

• Changes in bowel movements
• Urge to use the toilet more or less often than usual
• Blood in the stool
• Bleeding
• Stomach ache
• Lump in the stomach
• Bloating
• Weight loss
• Fatigue

Health