What was believed to be a simple digestive issue turned
out to be a silent, aggressive killer—leaving a family devastated and raising
fresh concerns about cancer misdiagnosis.
A 76-year-old woman from the UK, who was previously
considered to be in good health, died just three days after being diagnosed
with bowel cancer—months after doctors initially brushed off her symptoms as
mere food intolerance.
Maria Paszkiewicz, a mother and grandmother, started
noticing changes in her bowel habits in 2023. She found herself needing to use
the toilet more often and began experiencing discomfort. These signs, which are
among the early warning symptoms of bowel cancer, were unfortunately misread by
medical professionals.
Her family recalls that she rarely fell sick and had always
taken care of her health. When she began reporting digestive discomfort and
unusual bowel movements, doctors concluded that her symptoms were likely due to
an adverse reaction to something she had eaten. The diagnosis? A food
intolerance.
“They said it was probably just something she ate that her
stomach didn’t agree with,” her daughter recalled. “We trusted that opinion. No
one even hinted it could be something more serious. We didn’t question it.”
But as weeks passed, Maria's condition worsened. Realizing
that something wasn’t right, she insisted on getting further tests done. A
blood test finally revealed the shocking truth—she had bowel cancer, and it had
already spread to her liver. The disease had gone unnoticed for so long that it
had reached an advanced, untreatable stage.
Maria was placed on an urgent course of chemotherapy.
However, once the treatment concluded, the aggressive cancer returned almost
immediately. Doctors informed the family that she had just three to six months
left to live.
The prognosis gave the family a small window to prepare
emotionally and plan time together. But that chance never came. Just three days
after the diagnosis, Maria passed away, leaving her loved ones in complete
shock.
“We had just started processing the idea of her having three
months,” her daughter said. “We were calculating the dates—thinking of the
milestones we could reach, family memories we could still create. And then
suddenly, she was gone. It didn’t feel real.”
A Warning for All
Maria’s tragic story is not an isolated incident. Experts
warn that bowel cancer, often mistaken for common digestive issues, remains one
of the deadliest forms of cancer due to late diagnosis. The disease has a
survival rate of just 50% over 10 years, and early detection is key to
improving outcomes.
Alarmingly, recent studies have shown a 36% rise in bowel
cancer cases among people under 50 between 2007 and 2017. Researchers believe
this surge could be linked to modern lifestyle factors such as increased
consumption of ultra-processed foods, environmental pollution, and plastic
exposure.
Know the Symptoms
Doctors emphasize the importance of recognizing early
symptoms, which include:
- Persistent
change in bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation)
- Blood
in the stool
- Unexplained
weight loss
- Abdominal
pain or bloating
- Fatigue
and weakness
If these symptoms persist for more than a few weeks,
individuals are urged to consult a doctor and push for comprehensive diagnostic
tests, even if the initial assessment seems dismissive.
Maria’s story is a heart-wrenching reminder that early
detection can be the difference between life and death. For her family, the
grief remains raw, but they hope that sharing her story can help prevent others
from experiencing the same fate.