I was given meds for ‘health anxiety’ after eight GP visits only to be told I have cancer three years later

A MUM who went to her doctor eight times for unusual bowel symptoms claims she was told she had health anxiety – it was actually a sign of cancer. Lauren Toole, 27, noticed blood after wiping when she went to the toilet in 2023 and a few months later, a lump had appeared downstairs. Lauren Toole claims her doctor prescribed her medicine for health anxiety after visiting them at least eight times Credit: Kennedy News and Media Doctors told Lauren that her symptoms were caused by piles, but they were actually a sign of cancer Credit: Kennedy News and Media The mum-of-three decided to go to the doctor, but was repeatedly told she just had piles – also known as haemorrhoids – “like most mums”. Lauren, from Blackburn, Lancashire, was given numerous prescription creams for the supposed haemorrhoids but they didn’t resolve her symptoms. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! When she continued to return to the doctor, she claimed they thought she had health anxiety and prescribed her antidepressants to help. But when the mum was rushed to hospital for suspected appendicitis, she was referred for a colonoscopy and there doctors discovered her ‘haemorrhoids’ were actually polyps – abnormal clumps of cells that form small growths. Biopsy results found one of the polyps – removed in the colonoscopy – was a rare type of slow-growing cancer. Another was found to be pre-cancerous and will be removed soon. According to the NHS, bowel polyps are small growths on the lining of the large intestine that are very common and not usually serious. In some cases, however, they can lead to bowel cancer. Most read in Health Polyps don’t usually cause symptoms, but larger ones do sometimes leave signs. These include a small amount of slime or blood in your poo, bleeding from your bottom, a change in normal bowel habits and losing weight without trying. It was only when she was rushed to hospital for suspected appendicitis that more tests were done and polyps were discovered Credit: Kennedy News and Media One polyp was a rare type of slow-growing cancer and the other one was pre-cancerous Credit: Kennedy News and Media Lauren was horrified to discover she may have ended up with two different types of cancer if she’d ignored her symptoms, and may need multiple surgeries in the future to ensure there’s no further spread. While she admitted that she does have health anxiety, she believes that “deep down she knew there was something wrong”. Speaking about her ordeal, the mum and children’s mental health support worker said: “My first symptoms started at least three years ago after my second son. “At first, I kind of ignored it myself. It began with just a little bit of blood upon wiping. “I didn’t really think much of it until symptoms started getting worse. “Doctors told me they rarely come across someone who hasn’t got piles, especially when they have children.” Piles are lumps inside and around your bottom that can cause blood after you go to the toilet, a lump around your anus and mucus on toilet paper after wiping. Lauren continued: “It wasn’t happening all the time. I wasn’t having any pain, it wasn’t really bothering me at that time. “After going to the doctor, they did an examination and told me I had piles and prescribed me some more creams and suppositories. “They told me it was a common problem with mums. At that time I didn’t really suspect anything.” But after a few months, Lauren’s bleeding became more frequent and she noticed a lump had formed downstairs. Despite getting as many as 10 prescriptions for haemorrhoids, her symptoms didn’t improve. Lauren pictured with her sons Kaizer and Alvey Credit: Kennedy News and Media Lauren was only offered a colonoscopy for ‘peace of mind’ but it revealed that she had not been suffering from health anxiety Credit: Kennedy News and Media The mum said: “As the symptoms got worse and the different creams hadn’t improved anything, that’s when my concerns had grown. “It got to the point where I had to push the lump back in myself. There would also be blood clots when I was wiping. “Every time I went to the toilet I would have bleeding. “I’d flip between constipation and loose stools. A doctor noted down that I could have irritable bowel syndrome. “I was just told I basically had really bad health anxiety and was given antidepressants.” Lauren also explained that she’d gone to the doctors for other problems, including tiredness, generally not feeling well and palpitations. “No one thought the issues were related. It’s easy as a young mum to get dismissed and told you have anxiety,” she said. “Nobody thought to refer me for the piles even though they were symptomatic.” Everything changed, however, when Lauren was admitted to hospital this April with suspected appendicitis. She was offered a colonoscopy for ‘peace of mind’ which revealed that her ‘piles’ were actually polyps. Lauren is now waiting for further tests and will have to undergo at least one, if not more, surgeries Credit: Kennedy News and Media What is neuroendocrine cancer? Neuroendocrine cancers are a group of cancers that develop in cells of the neuroendocrine system. They can develop in different parts of the body, such as the stomach, bowel, pancreas or lungs. Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) can be slow, moderate or fast growing cancers. Their cells are abnormal but they look quite similar to normal neuroendocrine cells. The neuroendocrine system is made up of nerve pathways and neuroendocrine cells. You have neuroendocrine cells throughout your body. There are neuroendocrine cells throughout the body. They are in almost all organs and ​​ including your: food pipe (oesophagus) stomach lungs small and large bowel pancreas appendix Source: Cancer Research UK It was only after one of the polyps was removed and tested that Lauren was told the growth was a neuroendocrine tumour – a rare type of slow-growing cancer. And a biopsy of another polyp came back as a tubulovillous adenoma – pre-cancerous polyps that are your body’s early warning system for colorectal cancer. Lauren is now waiting for further testing and will have to undergo at least one, if not more, surgeries in the future to ensure all of the neuroendocrine tumour and pre-cancerous polyp are removed. Speaking about this discovery, the mum said: “I wasn’t expecting anything like that. To be told that, I was very upset. You start thinking about the worst-case scenario. “If I’d left both of them, I could’ve potentially ended up with two different types of cancer. “I’m in the lurch still not knowing what is happening next. “I just had this intuition that something wasn’t right, which might present as being anxious. I was anxious because I didn’t feel myself. “It probably manifested as health anxiety but deep down I knew there was something wrong.” She continued: “Looking back, I am angry. Being told I had anxiety, IBD, haemorrhoids – if they’d maybe tied those symptoms together and sent me for a colonoscopy, it would’ve been picked up sooner. “My advice to others is to always get a second opinion and speak up for yourself.” Comment now