Don’t put it off. That’s the main thing."
Steve Boyce from Victoria was a frequent gym-goer, who had always looked after his health. But at 67 his retirement plans were put on hold by an unexpected bowel cancer diagnosis. Steve knows that because he did the bowel screening test his cancer was caught early. Today he urges all Australians aged 45 to 74 to do the test because it could save your life.
Gym fit and no family history
Steve’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of bowel cancer screening. He was fit, healthy and had no known family history of bowel cancer. Described by his GP as ‘practically the perfect patient’, a bowel cancer diagnosis was the last thing he was expecting to hear.
Bowel cancer waits for no one
Steve was buying a house and making retirement plans, when the screening kit arrived in the mail. Like many people, his bowel cancer screening kit sat on the side gathering dust for a little while…
At the time, he thought nothing of it. He was busy and led quite a healthy lifestyle.
Well, okay, I might be almost 70, but I'm gym fit. I've always looked after myself."
But he took the test. Steve’s bowel cancer screening test results came back positive.
Thankfully I did, because it got caught early."
A positive screening result doesn't necessarily mean cancer, it does mean blood was detected in his sample. Steve made a follow-up appointment with his GP to investigate further. In his case, a tumour was found, and a few cancer cells were detected in a lymph node. “It was a bit of a traumatic drive back to work,” Steve reflects.
Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is always challenging, but Steve wanted to remain positive and “upbeat”, so that he was prepared for what was to come.
The impact of surgery
Steve underwent bowel surgery, followed by four cycles of chemotherapy. He jokingly refers to the chemotherapy as “housekeeping” but recognises his treatment was a significant procedure. After just a few months he was glad to be able to travel again and get back into a gym routine.
Steve believes that finding his cancer early made a significant difference to his experience.
He reminds people: “Once you get that envelope, do the test whether you’ve got any indications or not.”
I think I’ve got pretty lucky again, because it got caught early, which is the main message to get out.” “Don’t ignore it."
A return to normal life
Even today, Steve’s bowel surgery continues to impact him. It’s changed his “plumbing” he says. Most of the earlier issues are now improving, but his sleep can be quite disrupted, and he has medication to manage ongoing symptoms. Fortunately, he says, “these issues are gradually settling.”
Despite some challenges, Steve remains active. He still goes to the gym three times a week, enjoys writing and poetry as a creative outlet and was able to make a return to ballroom dancing after surgery.
Don’t put it off
Thankfully, life is looking better every day, for Steve.
He is now being monitored and appointments with his surgeon and oncologist have become less frequent.
“Every test I get comes back green, so I’m happy,” he says.
Steve’s story is ultimately a positive one. While his diagnosis interrupted the retirement he’d been carefully planning, he feels lucky that it was caught relatively early.
The test can detect blood that may not be visible to the naked eye, which is why Steve says people should complete it even when they have not noticed anything unusual.
The test is really easy and simple."
By sharing his experience, Steve hopes he can encourage more people to take that first, potentially lifesaving step by doing their bowel cancer screening test.
“The main message there is always don’t put it off,” he says. “Do things early.”
Don’t delay, request your free bowel cancer screening test today.
If you notice any bowel cancer symptoms, please make an appointment with your GP.