My dad died after docs repeatedly sent him home with laxatives – he was in insufferable pain, says Geordie Shore star

A TV star has spoken out about her dad’s tragic death from bowel cancer after he was repeatedly sent home by doctors with laxatives. Zahida Allen, who starred on the reality show Geordie Shore, lost her dad, Anhar Miah, in February 2023 at just 62-years-old. Zahida Allen’s dad Anhar Miah sadly died from bowel cancer in February 2023 Credit: PA He had gone to the GP about his symptoms multiple times was repeatedly just given laxatives Credit: PA She said that while her dad had suffered from stomach issues for years – which were attributed to a rich diet – his symptoms became more severe in 2021. Anhar was fatigued, rapidly lost weight, had bouts of constipation that would last for seven days and found blood in his stool. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! He visited his GP several times but was simply sent home with laxatives that did not ease his symptoms. It wasn’t until February 2022, after an A&E visit, several scans and a biopsy, that Anhar was told he had “stage four metastatic, incurable, inoperable, terminal bowel cancer”. Read more on bowel cancer By this point, Zahida, now 32, said the disease “was just so far gone” and it had spread to his abdomen, kidney and stomach. Speaking about her dad’s illness, she said: “He was in an insufferable, incomprehensible amount of pain.” Zahida believes that had her dad’s symptoms been taken more seriously and testing for bowel cancer done sooner, more might have been able to be done to prolong, or even save, his life. Bowel cancer has become a leading cause of death across the world, and it’s the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. Most read in Health In the UK, over 46,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year – making it the fourth most common cancer. Bowel cancer can cause symptoms such as blood in poo or on the toilet paper, and a lump in the tummy. By the time Anhar was diagnosed, the disease had spread to his abdomen, kidney and stomach Credit: PA Other common symptoms can include changes in your poo, such as diarrhoea or constipation, bloating and losing weight without trying. The disease, however, can easily be mistaken for common issues such as piles – and tiredness and weight loss may be missed. Anhar started visiting the GP for his stomach issues in January 2021, which included diarrhoea, constipation and stomach pains. The dad, however, was repeatedly sent home with laxatives, rather than being offered further investigations or tests. But in December 2021, Zahida was visiting her family and noticed her dad looked extremely ill. She said: “His eyeballs were a different colour, he looked ill, he looked skinny, his bones were sticking out. I’d never seen him like that before. “He’d always been quite a healthy man, very active, liked swimming and running and walking, he had loads of different jobs, so for me to see him frail was really difficult.” Then one day that month, Anhar went to take a nap but when Zahida checked on him, she found him vomiting blood so she called an ambulance. The pair waited all night in A&E for him to be seen but when he was, Anhar was simply given another box of laxatives and discharged. Zahida, however, insisted on getting a second opinion and another doctor sent her dad for an X-ray and a CT scan. Anhar first went to the GP in January 21 about diarrhoea, stomach pain and constipation Credit: PA Zahida called an ambulance for her dad in December 2021 when he started vomiting blood Credit: PA Speaking about the ordeal, she said: “If I didn’t say something, if I didn’t refuse to leave, still we wouldn’t have known at that time that my dad had cancer, and it would have continued developing. “And I think that is what the problem is. When my dad got misdiagnosed those other three times, the cancer was very much present, and it was multiplying, and it was growing. “If he was able to find it sooner, we would have been able to look at other treatment ideas or plans sooner.” The CT scan revealed Anhar’s bowel was twisted and obstructed, and he was told he needed emergency surgery that night. After surgery, Zahida asked doctors whether his symptoms might be caused by bowel cancer, but she said she was told that while they did not believe that to be the case, they would send a sample for testing. “I had a really bad feeling,” she said. Two months later, in February 2022, Anhar received a phone call with the results of his biopsy – he had “stage four metastatic, incurable, inoperable, terminal bowel cancer”, which had spread to his abdomen, kidney and stomach. He began a gruelling routine of visiting the hospital every two weeks for nine hours of chemotherapy, before being sent home with a port to continue the treatment for another 48 hours. Describing his treatment, Zahida said: “I think there was only one time where my dad managed two weeks at home without going to hospital. Every other time he had serious infections. “He got grade three sepsis one time and almost died. “And he’d get complete obstruction down there, and then they would say we’ll have to do an enema, or he’d get ulcers in his mouth, that would pop and then infect the stomach… can’t eat anything, can’t drink anything, so he’d have to go to hospital and get fed through a tube. “In a way, I’m glad we didn’t have three years of that or five years of that. That is no way for someone to live. There was no point in that.” Sun Columnist Dame Deborah James was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 at the age of just 35, after initially being told her symptoms were likely due to IBS or stress Credit: Stewart Williams The signs of bowel cancer you need to know - remember BOWEL B:Bleeding There are several possible causes of bleeding from your bottom, of blood in your poo. Bright red blood could come from swollen blood vessels, haemorrhoids or piles, in your back passage. Dark red or black blood could come from your bowel or stomach. Blood in your stools is one of the key signs of bowel cancer, so it’s important to mention it to your doctor so they can investigate. 2. O: Obvious change in loo habits It’s important to tell your GP if you have noticed any changes in your bowel habits, that lasts three weeks or longer. It’s especially important if you have also noticed signs of blood in your poo. You might notice you need to go to the loo more often, you might have looser stools or feel like you’re not going enough or fully emptying your bowels. Don’t be embarrassed, your GP will have heard a lot worse! Speak up and get it checked. 3. W: Weight loss This is less common than the other symptoms, but an important one to be aware of. If you’ve lost weight and don’t really know why, it’s worth mentioning to your GP. You may not feel like eating, feel sick, bloated and not hungry. 4. E: Extreme tiredness Bowel cancer that causes bleeding can cause a lack of iron in the body – anaemia. If you develop anaemia you’re likely to feel tired and your skin might look pale. 5. L: Lump or pain As with lots of other forms of cancer, a lump or pain can be a sign of bowel cancer. It’s most likely you’ll notice a pain or lump in your stomach or back passage. See your GP if it doesn’t go away, or if it affects how you eat or sleep After beginning chemotherapy in May 2022, Anhar sadly passed away in February 2023, shortly after celebrating his 62nd birthday with his family. Zahida said: “Now I see that God took him sooner because that wasn’t life.” Since his passing, she has been raising awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer and the importance of early testing. There has been a worrying rise in younger people getting the disease in recent years – many of whom face delays in diagnosis due to their age. Most cases are still spotted in people over the age 50, with about 2,600 people younger than that diagnosed with bowel cancer every year. But since the 1990s, rates of bowel cancer in 25 to 49-year-olds have increased by 72 per cent, according to Cancer Research UK – compared to a 6 per cent increase in people aged 50 to 59, and a 3 per cent increase in 60 to 74-year-olds. The NHS sends free home testing kits that check for traces of blood in poo – a telltale sign of bwel cancer – to everyone aged 50 to 74 every two years. The age of testing was lowered to 50 years old after campaigning by The Sun, spearheaded by Dame Deborah James. The Sun columnist died of the disease aged 40, after a diagnosis five years prior. Screening is for people without symptoms but if you have symptoms you think could be bowel cancer, don’t wait to receive your test – speak to your GP. Speaking about her dad’s life, Zahida said: “I hope with my message and with my dad’s story, more people have a quick look at their symptoms and just take the test and take matters into their own hands. “I wish we were taught more about bowel health and what is normal and what isn’t. “If I’d known the symptoms to look out for, and known there were opportunities to self-test earlier, I genuinely believe that could have helped my dad.” Comment now