When Ebony Gaylor was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 38, she could not believe it was happening to her. The fit, young executive-level Melburnian initially attributed her gut issues to gluten or irritable bowel syndrome, delaying testing.
'I tried all the usual things like increasing exercise, reducing coffee, or cutting out bread, but nothing worked,' she told AAP. 'I had not planned on getting cancer. It is not even that it was an old person's disease—I did not think it was a “me” disease.'
When the cancer diagnosis finally came, the young mother could not simply put her life on hold for treatment. The regimen was brutal: chemotherapy, radiation, colostomy bags, and the removal of part of her bowel, lymph nodes, and rectum.
'It is not just about showing up for chemo and radiation. It affects every aspect of life—fertility, finances, relationships, and how much you can engage with your child. It casts such a long shadow,' Ms Gaylor said.
Rising Rates Among the Young
Ms Gaylor is among a rapidly growing number of under-50-year-olds diagnosed with bowel cancer. Australia now records some of the highest early-onset rates of the disease globally. Over the past two decades, rates have more than doubled among people aged 20 to 29 and tripled among those aged 30 to 39.
Experts are puzzled about the cause, considering factors from microplastics to stress. Bowel cancer expert Julia Freckelton said it is unlikely there is a single cause.
'We still do not fully understand why bowel cancer is rising so rapidly in younger Australians,' Dr Freckelton told AAP. Current evidence suggests a combination of lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors, including diet, obesity, sedentary behaviour, and changes in gut health.
Treatment Not Designed for the Young
What is clear is that current treatment regimes are not designed for young people, who often must balance recovery with work, children, and other responsibilities. Ms Gaylor said she felt like a square peg in a round hole during treatment.
'Having a young family, I am trying to fit appointments around work meetings, school drop-offs and pickups, and other family commitments,' she said.
Dr Freckelton will lead a trial program called ORBIT to test more flexible support options for young people, including telehealth, after-hours appointments, fertility preservation, mental health care, and long-term survivorship planning.
Ms Gaylor noted that younger cancer survivors face decades of physical and emotional impacts from treatment. 'With traditional treatment, you decide if you are okay being infertile, having significant portions of your insides removed, or living with poor bowel function for the rest of your life. The intensity of treatment and its aftermath is not built for a 38-year-old woman.'
A significant funding boost is needed to support research into the shifting demographics of sufferers and more age-appropriate models of care. Ms Gaylor has been cancer-free for several years and moved outside Melbourne for a slower-paced, lower-stress lifestyle.
'Cancer really sucks and nobody should get it—but I do not think it is hopeless. We have so many brilliant clinicians and researchers, particularly here in Australia. We just need to resource them to do the research and clinical trials that are needed,' she said.
