Now she’s got your attention, The Sun’s bowel cancer champion wants YOU to help her #STOPbowelcancer

BOWEL cancer babe Deborah James wants your attention, and she wants it now.

Just days after major surgery, the 35-year-old teacher has posed up and set the public some homework - to learn the symptoms of bowel cancer.

The mum-of-two isn't your average bowel cancer patient - she's no meat-eating man over the age of 50.

And, that's her point - no one is too young to be told they too are battling the disease.

Deborah, who lives in south west London, was a fit and healthy, marathon-running vegetarian before she began to notice changes to her bowel habits last year.

After repeated visits to the doctors, she was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer just before Christmas.

But, no sooner had she wrapped her head around that, the disease dealt her another vicious blow.

The stunning mum was told last month her cancer had spread, to her lungs.

And so on the Thursday before Easter she found herself on surgeon Simon Jordan's table at London's Royal Brompton hospital to go under the knife for a second time.

But, determined to get home for Easter with her kids, nine-year-old Hugo and Eloise, seven, Deborah was up and about just days later.

"But emotionally the thought is quite difficult."

As well as losing her hair, the deputy head teacher also now faces a much more uncertain treatment plan.

"Stage four cancer isn't predictable," she said.

"It's always changing and so the plan is always changing."

There are some tumours lurking in Deborah's left lung, but doctors are hoping with chemo, they may shrink.

But, they haven't ruled out another op.

While she waits for chemo to start, the determined 35-year-old refused to put her feet up and take it easy.

Rather she's on a mission, to shout from the rooftops about the importance of checking for signs of the disease.

And talking about the unpleasant business of your bowels.

With a group of friends, Deborah posed naked save for some strategically placed boards, bearing her potentially life-saving message.

"It was really fun," she told The Sun Online.

"It's a bit of a laugh, about fighting bowel cancer together.

"We're a bunch of women who never thought in a million years one of us would have cancer."

We’re a bunch of women who never thought in a million years one of us would have cancer

Deborah James

For Deborah, her friends and family have proved an invaluable weapon in helping her face the last few months.

"I couldn't have done it without them," she said.

"It shows the real importance of having a network when you're fighting cancer.

"And they've also been supporting me in wanting to raise awareness, they are really behind it... literally."

So what does Deborah want to say to other young people who, like her six months ago, never dream this could happen to them?

"For me the key message is you are never too young for bowel cancer," she told The Sun Online.

"For me it is incredibly important to raise awareness in people under the age of 50.

"People over 50 too, everybody really, but what's important is people really realise it can happen to anyone at any stage of life.

"It is a really preventable disease.

"My long-term hope is that by the time my kids get to my age there are things in place that will pick up the signs of bowel cancer much faster.

"I hope in future the only people diagnosed with bowel cancer are told they're stage one or two, when it's less of a threat.

"Then no one will have to face what I'm facing."

One of the major barriers, Deborah said, is society's unwillingness to talk about their bowels, and bowel cancer.

"Before I was diagnosed I didn't know anything about it," she admitted.

"I don't want to scare people, chances are in most cases your symptoms won't be bowel cancer.

"But, the reality is a bit of a scare is better than stage four bowel cancer."

And, as Deborah points out, the statistics show bowel cancer is becoming more and more prevalent in the under-50 age group.

On average, it still remains a disease that's more common in older people.

But, due to the fact it is largely caused by lifestyle factors, such as poor diet and a lack of exercise, it's likely to become more common unless drastic action is taken.

As for Deborah, her oncologist is really positive, despite her cancer spreading.

"He is treating me very aggressively," she said.

"He can do that because I'm young, and relatively fit and healthy otherwise.
"He's told me he will do whatever is humanly possible to cure me, and prolong my life.

"But the reality is I should not have had cancer in my body as long as I did before diagnosis."