A young woman from Gloucestershire faced a devastating battle with a rare stomach cancer after her initial symptoms were dismissed by doctors as simply 'women's problems'. Bella Bayliss, now 25, has endured multiple surgeries and now faces a recurrence of the disease.
A Dismissal with Dire Consequences
Bella Bayliss first sought help at the Accident and Emergency department of Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in January 2019. The then 19-year-old was suffering from severe abdominal pain, breathlessness, and extreme bloating. Despite her clear distress, she was sent home with her symptoms attributed to gynaecological issues.
"I went to hospital because I was extremely anaemic, they sent me home and blamed it on women's problems. I knew it wasn't that," Miss Bayliss recalled. Her symptoms persisted, including a complete loss of appetite, numbness in her legs, and tingling sensations in her hands and limbs.
The Shocking Diagnosis of a Rare Cancer
Unconvinced and still unwell, Bella returned to the same hospital in November 2019 and insisted on further tests. Medics performed an endoscopy, a procedure where a camera is guided into the digestive system. The results were shocking.
Doctors discovered a 6cm gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) in her stomach. This type of cancer is exceptionally rare, affecting only 10 to 15 people per million annually and accounting for just one to two percent of all gastrointestinal cancers. Symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, and fullness—all of which Bella experienced—are common indicators.
"I went home and a few months later I went back because I was anaemic again and I had an endoscopy and that's when they found the tumour," she said.
Life-Altering Surgery and a Devastating Return
Because GIST tumours typically do not respond to standard chemotherapy, Bella required major surgery. Surgeons were forced to remove the tumour along with 70 per cent of her stomach—a procedure she believes could have been less drastic with earlier detection.
"If they hadn't have left me for so long I wouldn't have had to have that much of my stomach removed because the tumour got bigger within that time," she stated. The surgery left her with a significant scar and permanently altered her ability to eat, forcing her to consume small meals throughout the day and affecting her social life.
After five years of believing the cancer was behind her, a routine scan in autumn 2023 delivered a crushing blow. Two new tumours were found on her liver. "I was very shocked, me and my mum and dad were devastated. This time it felt different," Bella shared. She is now undergoing further treatment to find effective medication, with surgery remaining the only potential cure.
An Apology and a Lesson for the NHS
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offered a full apology: "We are very sorry to hear that Miss Bayliss's cancer has returned... We are also sorry about the experience she had with her care in 2019 and 2020."
The Trust acknowledged the failure to detect the cancer initially and confirmed they have "used her experience to reinforce the importance of appropriate investigation in similar situations." Bella's case stands as a stark reminder of the critical importance of listening to patients and pursuing thorough diagnostic pathways.
