Man, 26, with bowel cancer given 10 percent of survival reveals one symptom he dismissed

A man who was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer at 26 has revealed the one common symptom he 'didn't think much of'.

David Lyon, from Pennsylvania, said he started noticing a little bit of blood in his stool in the summer of 2021.

"I worked in a sheet metal machine shop and thought, maybe I accidentally scraped something. It was just every few days a little red. But I was also feeling like I had to use the bathroom a lot more than normally," he told People for March's Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

"The next week, I couldn’t stand up straight. I had severe abdominal pain and was hunched over. I thought, 'Something’s not right'," David said.

Three days after having a colonoscopy, tests revealed that he had stage 4 bowel cancer.

David Lyon was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 26 (David Lyon)

"I quickly got a scan done and they found the cancer had already metastasized to my liver. It was so aggressive," David explained.

"The doctors didn’t know what to think because I was so young."

With just a 10 percent chance of survival, he underwent chemotherapy and had a 16-hour liver transplant surgery.

The transplant and treatment saved his life and David, now 31, is cancer free.

"The chemo worked. It shrunk the original tumor in my colon enough that the surgeon in Cleveland felt ready to take it out," he said.

David underwent a 16 hour surgery to remove the tumour (David Lyon)

"I had my first surgery to remove the origin point of the cancer on 11 July, 2022, about a year after I was diagnosed."

David admitted that his love of hockey kept him 'sane' through chemo, adding: "I never stopped playing hockey. The doctors told me I probably should stop. In my head I'm thinking, 'You want me to stay sane? I'm not going to stop playing hockey'.

"Of the entire time that I was on chemo, I only missed one game. I was still hanging out with friends, playing video games and going to see concerts.

David, 31, is now cancer free (David Lyon)

"I was still going to the gym, although I did have to switch to lighter weights at one point, which upset me. I also had to take breaks when I got dizzy or lightheaded."

David is now raising awareness of bowel cancer symptoms and is trying to 'make other people in the age bracket of 25 to 31 more aware of their health, and more comfortable about getting checked'.

It comes after the American Cancer Society (ACS) said bowel cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in people under the age of 50 in the US.

"Don't be afraid of the stigma surrounding colonoscopies. Don't be embarrassed. For the love of God, go get checked," he said.

According to the NHS, symptoms of bowel cancer may include:

· Changes in your pooing habits

· Bleeding from your bottom

· Feeling like you need to poo even if you've just been to the toilet

· Tummy pain

· A lump in your tummy

· Bloating

· Losing weight without trying

· Feeling very tired for no reason

Many symptoms of bowel cancer overlap with non-life threatening conditions IBS and IBD (colitis/Crohn’s).

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.