In early 2020, at the age of 26, I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. My diagnosis came after noticing persistent symptoms of stomach pain and a change in appetite. Following my diagnosis I was scheduled for an emergency surgery to remove the tumor. It was also at this time I was introduced to the amazing team at St. Marks who investigated why I had cancer at a young age.

Following my surgery I underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and other targeted treatments, all with limited degrees of success. Meanwhile, St. Marks discovered through their genetic testing that I had Lynch Syndrome, a genetic pre-disposition to bowel cancer. People with Lynch Syndrome have an 80% chance of developing bowel cancer in their lifetime.

My Lynch diagnosis proved to be the key to my recovery, enabling an alternative course of immunotherapy treatment. Although in its infancy it has proven effective in people with “Lynch” cancers. After 2 years of immunotherapy I no longer needed treatment, and as of August 2022 I am treatment free and undergo routine surveillance scans.

I was cared for by so many brilliant teams in hospitals all across London during my treatment, but the specialist research carried out by St Marks ultimately held the keys to unlock an effective course of treatment for me. The team are also so helpful, approachable and diligent in their advice and care. I therefore want to do my own little bit to give back and help them to keep doing what they do, as well as raise awareness for their work.

St Marks also push for better screening and awareness for bowel cancer, which is a crucial service to ensure early treatment, and something I want to raise awareness for in any way possible!

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Since 1835, St Mark’s Hospital has improved the survival and health-related quality of life of people with complex and rare bowel diseases. Over 50,000 patients are cared for at St Mark’s and, as a tertiary referral centre, 60% of our patients are referred from other UK hospitals to receive specialist care. Our clinical teams are experts when it comes to anything related to gastrointestinal diseases; in 2022, St Mark’s was recognised by Newsweek Magazine as one of the world’s leading specialist hospitals for gastroenterology.