A mother from Runcorn, Cheshire, who attributed her bloating to menopause, has been diagnosed with colon cancer after discovering "speckled blood" in her stool. Natalie Hushin, 54, initially believed her bloating and stomach discomfort were due to hormonal changes, but her symptoms soon became "weird and unusual." When she began experiencing blood in her stool after difficulty using the toilet, she consulted her GP and was referred for a colonoscopy.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The colonoscopy revealed tumours on Natalie's colon, and she was diagnosed with cancer weeks later. She underwent a 10-and-a-half-hour operation to remove the tumour, followed by six rounds of chemotherapy. The former company director said: "The surgery went well; they removed the tumour and surrounding lymph nodes. I had a PET scan afterwards that revealed the cancer was on my liver too. I did six rounds of chemotherapy, oral tablets every day and infusions every fortnight for three months."
Ongoing Battle
Treatment began in September 2025, but a PET scan in December showed a 1cm tumour on the edge of her liver. Specialists planned a liver ablation for February this year, but the procedure was postponed. By March, an MRI scan revealed the tumour had grown to three and a half centimetres, leading to a liver resection to remove it. Natalie added: "It is a difficult rollercoaster. I was very fortunate to have very good surgeons on both of my surgeries — I cannot fault them. This surgery could have been avoided if the ablation had taken place when it was supposed to."
Warning to Others
Natalie is now warning others about colon cancer symptoms, which include bloating, blood in stool, and weight loss without trying. She recalled: "I am going through menopause at the moment, so I thought my bloating was caused by that. When I would eat, I would get a bit bloated and have a dicky stomach. But I would struggle to go to the toilet, and I noticed speckled blood in my stool. I told my son, and he urged me to go to the doctors to get it checked out."
Colon cancer killed more than 900,000 people worldwide in 2022, according to the World Health Organisation. Natalie's cancer was detected early, and she has received treatment to overcome her battle. However, she will need scans every three months for 10 years to monitor for any growth.
