A mother-of-two described as "fit and healthy" received a terminal diagnosis on the same day she went for a routine colonoscopy, after holiday bloating masked devastating symptoms.
From Holiday Indulgence to a Life-Changing Diagnosis
Cecilia Capolupo, 46, sought advice from her GP after returning from a family holiday in Devon feeling unusually bloated, having enjoyed pasties and fish and chips with her children. Initially told it was likely an infection, the London-based Pilates enthusiast was scheduled for a colonoscopy at Lister Hospital on September 26, 2025.
"I went to a routine colonoscopy and they gave me a death sentence on the same day," Cecilia revealed. During the procedure, doctors discovered an eight-centimetre tumour. She was informed the cancer had already spread to her abdominal wall, liver, and lungs, classifying it as stage-four bowel cancer with a life expectancy of around two years.
A Devastating Shock for an Active Mum
Cecilia, originally from Argentina but living in Clapham with her Scottish husband Mark, 45, and their two young sons, said the news triggered her first-ever panic attack. "I woke up at 2am crying," she said. "I don't wish this for anybody."
What made the diagnosis particularly shocking was her lack of typical symptoms. "I never had the typical symptoms. Never constipated or had diarrhoea. I go to the loo perfectly fine," Cecilia explained. "I thought 'how can it be my lungs? I do bike class, I go dancing with my friends until two o'clock in the morning'."
Treatment and a Plea for Earlier Screening
Cecilia now undergoes chemotherapy every two weeks, with additional treatment at home. After four rounds, she describes feeling "like a 90-year-old lady" suffering the "worst hangover of all time". Despite the prognosis, she is determined to fight, with a 13 per cent survival rate for five years with stage-four bowel cancer.
"I'm not planning to die any time soon," she stated defiantly. "I'm planning on going back to work. I have to get on with my life."
Her case highlights a critical issue in UK health policy. While Australia screens from age 45, in England, Scotland, and Wales, bowel cancer screening kits are only routinely sent from age 50. Bowel cancer is the UK's third most common cancer.
"I rushed when I had my first symptom and it was too late," Cecilia said. "If I had had the check at 45, I'd be in a much better situation." Her story is a powerful call for awareness and a review of screening age thresholds.
