A young father from Sydney has shared his harrowing experience of being diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 34, urging others not to ignore symptoms regardless of their age.
A Life Turned Upside Down
Ben Duffin, a creative director and father of two young sons, was living what he described as a normal, healthy life with his family. His world came to a sudden halt in August this year when he received a diagnosis of stage three colorectal cancer. The news was gut-wrenching, particularly as he had no family history of the disease and had always considered himself fit and active.
"When diagnosed I was just living a normal life," Ben told the Daily Mail. "As a dad of a young family, the worst part was watching the effect of everything on my wife. The emotional toll on top of basically solo parenting for six months was brutal."
The Subtle Signs and Initial Dismissal
Before his diagnosis, Ben began experiencing subtle changes, including blood in his stools, increased gassiness, and bloating. When he consulted a GP, initial tests showed nothing abnormal. He was told it was "highly unlikely" for someone his age to develop bowel cancer, as the average age of diagnosis is 69.
Persisting, he was referred to a gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy, which revealed a 6cm tumour at the intersection of his rectum and colon. "Thankfully, it didn't spread but it had penetrated the wall of the bowel," Ben explained. He underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy.
"I was told by multiple doctors that I was fortunate I got it checked out early," he said, "but honestly I could have acted sooner."
An Alarming Rise in Young Patients
Ben's case is not an isolated one. Professor Viraj Kariyawasam, a senior gastroenterologist from Sydney, confirms a "clear and concerning rise" in bowel cancer diagnoses among people under 50. In Australians aged 30 to 39, incidence has tripled since 2000, from about six to around 19 cases per 100,000 people.
"This increase has been consistent and is now one of the fastest growing cancer trends in younger Australians," Dr Kariyawasam stated. He warns that symptoms are often subtle and easily dismissed as stress, diet issues, or irritable bowel syndrome.
The most commonly missed signs include:
- Persistent changes in bowel habits (diarrhoea or constipation)
- Unexplained fatigue or anaemia
- Abdominal pain
- Rectal bleeding or blood in stools
- Unexplained weight loss
"Any ongoing change in bowel habits lasting more than two to three weeks should never be ignored," he emphasised.
A Call for Earlier Screening and Vigilance
Four months on, Ben is monitoring his health closely, with no current sign of the cancer returning. He is now a vocal advocate for lowering the screening age in Australia, where free bowel cancer screening tests are currently available from age 45.
"I know the government has lowered the age for the free screening test kit to 45, but this really should be lowered to 35 at least," Ben argued. "Bowel cancer rates in young people are up 240 per cent."
He urges everyone to trust their instincts and seek medical advice for any unusual symptoms. "Don't hesitate to get anything unusual checked out," he said. For those undergoing treatment, his biggest tip is to exercise, noting that regular activity has been shown to reduce recurrence rates by 40%.
Professor Kariyawasam echoed this call for vigilance: "Bowel cancer does not discriminate by age anymore. Early detection dramatically improves survival, with more than 90 percent of cases treatable when caught early."
