A mother of two was diagnosed with stage-three bowel cancer after her low iron levels were detected during a blood donation screening. Laura Jackson, 39, from Southampton, Hampshire, had attempted to donate blood in April 2025 but was rejected due to low iron levels.
GP referral and diagnosis
Her GP was concerned and ordered further tests. Two positive FIT tests led to a referral for a colonoscopy and gastroscopy in May 2025. Aside from tiredness, which she attributed to being a working mother, Jackson had not experienced typical symptoms like blood in her stool. She did have infrequent bouts of diarrhoea up to three times in the year before her referral.
Doctors discovered a 5cm tumour in her large intestine and confirmed bowel cancer. In July 2025, she underwent a three-hour surgery to remove a third of her bowel.
Cancer staging and treatment
After a biopsy, the cancer was upgraded from stage two to stage three because deposits were found in her veins and outside her bowel, indicating it was attempting to spread. Six weeks after surgery, in August 2025, she began four rounds of "mop up" chemotherapy over 12 weeks.
Jackson now has no evidence of disease but will be under surveillance for five years before she can be considered in remission. She said: "Everything kind of felt a bit surreal in that moment when the doctor told me I had a tumour."
Symptoms and awareness
Jackson said she disregarded her tiredness, often taking two-hour naps while her baby slept. She also had sudden bouts of diarrhoea about three times a year, which she now believes were caused by a partial bowel obstruction. "The pain was so intense and eventually I'd have frequent diarrhoea. Looking back I had a partial bowel obstruction so my body was having a meltdown trying to pass a bowel motion but the tumour was in the way," she said.
She shared her story online to raise awareness. "My GP saved my life," she said. "I thought if I share my experience and someone else is going through it they might be able to see the reality is not all doom and gloom."
