‘It’s not an old people’s disease’
Study reveals an increasing number of young Kiwis are getting bowel cancer
At 28, Sheryl McGiffert was told by her doctor that she was too young to have bowel cancer.
Despite a history of the disease on both sides of her family, the Canterbury woman suffered for 12 months before the pain became so bad she could barely walk and was rushed to hospital.
It was there, in January 2017, she was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer and given less than five years to live.
“Up until that point it hadn’t really sunk in. I looked at my family and saw tears coming out of my dad’s eyes. I hadn’t seen him cry before and it all just hit me and I bawled my eyes out.”
An international study has revealed an increasing number of young New Zealanders are getting bowel cancer — part of a “worrying worldwide trend”.
Cancer Society of New Zealand medical director and oncologist Chris Jackson, a co-author of the research, said it had become an issue needing urgent attention.
“It shows we are likely to see an increase in the number of people likely to have bowel cancer in the future and that’s a major concern,” Jackson told the Weekend Herald.
He said there was a lot unknown about the reasons for the increase and more research was needed to answer this.
The findings come as a Herald investigation last week revealed:
● GPs telling patients with serious symptoms and a family history of bowel cancer that they are too young to have the disease.
● More than $15 million of taxpayer money being paid to cancer patients who have been misdiagnosed or not diagnosed quickly enough.
● Thousands of New Zealanders being told they have cancer when rushed to an emergency department when it’s often too late to start treatment.
● Health advocates calling on GPs to get more training to better detect cancer.
● There are extreme shortages in the number of specialists available in New Zealand to properly detect bowel cancer.
The study, led by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, found that between January 1995 and December 2014 rates of bowel cancer in people younger than 50 had increased by 4 per cent in seven highincome countries including New Zealand.
This was despite the overall rate of people getting bowel cancer dropping.
The latest data showed the number of New Zealanders under the age of 50 getting bowel cancer had risen by 3 per cent over the 10-year time period.
Jackson said this was worrying given this age bracket was not included in the National Bowel Screening Programme (NBSP) being rolled out in New Zealand.
“It means young people have to be really aware of their symptoms.”
At the moment, only people aged
People need to be proactive in getting checked if they think there is something wrong, and always get a second opinion. Mary Bradley, Bowel Cancer New Zealand
60 to 74 have access to bowel cancer screening, and even then it depends on where they live because not all DHBs have started this.
Health Minister David Clark said the NBSP was expected to be fully implemented by June 2021.
He had not seen the report and could not comment until he had.
Jackson said young people should not dismiss the possibility of having bowel cancer.
“Particularly as these young people age, their chances of bowel cancer are just going to get higher.”
Bowel Cancer New Zealand spokeswoman Mary Bradley, a cancer survivor, echoed Jackson’s comments and said the study illustrated how important it was for GPs to take young people seriously.
“GPs shouldn’t just assume bowel cancer is an old people’s disease like previously thought. Clearly we can see it’s just as important to check young people, especially when they have a family history.
“People need to be proactive in getting checked if they think there is something wrong, and always get a second opinion.”
The Cancer Society supported lowering the age of bowel cancer screening to at least 50 but said resources and specialists to do the screening were needed to support the demand.
Sheryl McGiffert went to her GP multiple times but was told her symptoms could be a gluten or dairy intolerance. She changed her diet but problems persisted.
“I hadn’t had any health problems before and at that time I was on a real health kick, exercising heaps and eating well.”
The Rangiora resident says she got to the point where she started thinking it was in her head.
“When you are told there’s nothing wrong with you so many times you do start to think it’s not real.”
She said her mum was begging for a colonoscopy to see if it was bowel cancer but the doctor said she was too young.
The message she gave to people was to know your own body and take your symptoms seriously.
“If you think something is wrong, pursue it. Don’t take the ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. Visit a doctor and get a second opinion.”
McGiffert said it was important for GPs to take their patients seriously and to know what to look for.
“If you leave it too long, people can die.”
For the now 31-year-old it’s a waiting game. She continues to fight and make the most of the time she has left.