My hidden bowel cancer was uncovered by an allergic reaction to a tablet

Marie-Claire Dorking
·Contributor
·5-min read
Senior man with stomach pain sitting in bedroom.
Steven Wise was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer after an allergic reaction to acid reflux medication. Posed by model. (Getty Images)

A man has shared how his life may have been saved by an acid reflux tablet after an allergic reaction lead to a bowel cancer diagnosis.

Steven Wise, 71, had been suffering with painful acid reflux for a year. After over the counter medication proved ineffective, the grandad-of-seven was eventually prescribed Lansoprazole - a strong acid reflux medication - but suffered an allergic reaction almost immediately after taking them.

Steven, a tennis and football coach from Hampstead, London was rushed to hospital and given an adrenaline shot, endoscopy and a CT scan. But the results revealed he had a mass in his bowel, which was later diagnosed as stage 3 bowel cancer.

Just three weeks after his diagnosis, in September 2023, Steven had surgery to remove the 7cm lump from his colon, with doctors describing the procedure as a complete success. "If it wasn’t for that tablet reaction I’d never have known I had cancer - it’s given me a second chance to live life to the fullest," he says.

Steven was initially rushed to the Royal Free Hospital, in London, in September 2023, after the reaction to the reflux tablet proved so severe he feared he might die. "My body didn’t take well to it at all, and I totally panicked," he recalls. "Within a week, they called me back to say that they had actually found stage 3 cancer in my bowel. I was in complete shock as I hadn’t had any symptoms."

Steven has now been given the all-clear from cancer, pictured with two of his grandchildren, Tommy and Ella. (Steven Wise/SWNS)
Steven has now been given the all-clear from cancer, pictured with two of his grandchildren, Tommy and Ella. (Steven Wise/SWNS)

Following his operation Steven's immediate treatment plan included chemotherapy, in tablet form as a precaution to prevent the cancer from returning. But after a few weeks, he had to discontinue them due to him experiencing side effects like swelling and exhaustion.

Thankfully, despite stopping the chemo, his recovery has continued smoothly, and Steven recently received the all-clear for cancer. The news came almost exactly a year after his surgery, when his latest colonoscopy showed no signs of cancer. He is now undergoing a five-year follow-up programme, and feels thankful to the medical team at the Royal Free, who he says went above and beyond to support him on his cancer journey.

"They were incredible," he says of the medical staff. "The doctors originally warned me I might need a stoma bag, but I asked them if there was any way around it. The surgeon even re-stitched me just so he could prevent me having a stoma bag."

Steven says he also feels grateful he had a reaction to acid reflux medication as he only underwent further testing because of that. "Without that scan, it [the cancer] would have gone to stage 4 and I would have almost certainly died," he says. "Other than the reflux I felt fine," he continues. "It just shows."

Steven says he now feels grateful for the reaction as he had no symptoms of bowel cancer, pictured with his son and two of his grandchildren. (Steven Wise/SWNS)
Steven says he now feels grateful for the reaction as he had no symptoms of bowel cancer, pictured with his son and two of his grandchildren. (Steven Wise/SWNS)

Being told he is now cancer-free has also enabled Steven to get back to enjoying his busy lifestyle and he says he has no plans on giving up his coaching career just yet. "I was always told the chair is the enemy," he explains. "You’ve got to keep doing stuff and keep active. I’m kept busy with my grandchildren and life is good. I’m out playing golf again and truly grateful to be here."

Last year Dr James Kinross, Colorectal Surgeon at King Edward VII’s Hospital shared six potential warning signs of bowel cancer to look out for including:

  • A change in toilet habits - If you notice you need to poo more often than normal or you have looser, runnier stools, this could be a sign to head to your GP.

  • Blood in your stools - "If you’re noticing blood in your stools, and you don’t suffer from haemorrhoids, it may be a warning sign that something isn’t quite right," Dr Kinross says.\

  • Stomach or abdominal pain - Dr Kinross says any persistent abdominal pain, from cramps to discomfort, particularly if it's accompanied by bloating, could be a sign of bowel cancer.

  • Unexplained weight loss - "Losing weight unintentionally, without changes in diet or exercise habits, could be a sign of various underlying health issues, including bowel cancer," Dr Kinross says.

  • A pain or lump in your stomach or back - While a pain or lump in your stomach or back passage is likely to be benign, Dr Kinross says it may indicate a malignant growth so it is worth getting checked.

  • Ongoing fatigue or weakness - "Persistent fatigue or weakness that doesn't improve with rest could be a symptom of bowel cancer, especially if it's accompanied by other symptoms such as abdominal pain or unexplained weight loss," Dr Kinross says.

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