Man’s stage 3 bowel cancer revealed after he took acid reflux tablet

A MAN'S life was saved after an acid reflux tablet helped reveal his hidden cancer.

Steven Wise, 71, had been battling painful acid reflux for a year when he was prescribed lansoprazole - a power heartburn medication dished out on the NHS.

But his body had a severe allergic reaction, sending him to the hospital where doctors made a lifesaving discovery.

"I hadn’t had any symptoms," Steven, from Hampstead, London said.

"Without that scan, it would have gone to stage 4 and I would have almost certainly died."

At the hospital, the grandad-of-seven was given an adrenaline shot, an endoscopy and a CT scan.

The scan revealed a 7cm mass in his bowel, diagnosed as stage 3 cancer.

Three weeks later, Steven had surgery to remove the tumour, and it was a success.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in the UK.

Cancer Research UK estimates around 44,100 new cases are diagnosed each year.

While 94 per cent of cases are diagnosed in people like Steven who are over the age of 55, the disease can strike anyone at any age.

Around 60 per cent of people survive cancer, with early diagnosis being key.

"If it wasn’t for that tablet reaction, I’d never have known I had cancer – it’s given me a second chance to live life to the fullest," he said.

Steven praised the medical team at Royal Free Hospital, who went above and beyond to ensure his comfort.

They even re-stitched him so he could avoid a stoma bag, a pouch attached to the stomach used to collect waste when the body is unable to.

"They were incredible," he said.

'Grateful to be here'

Although chemotherapy was part of his treatment, he had to stop due to side effects.

But his recovery was smooth, and he was recently given the all-clear after a colonoscopy.

Now in a five-year follow-up program, Steven is back to coaching tennis and football, and he’s "truly grateful to be here."

“I’m out playing golf again and keeping busy with my grandchildren. Life is good.”

Bowel cancer screening is offered to everyone aged 54 to 74 every 2 years.

The NHS uses a test called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) to look for blood in a sample of poo as this could be a sign of bowel cancer.

It will soon be available for everyone aged 50 to 74 years old, thanks to The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign.

If you're 75 or over, you can ask for a kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.