‘I didn’t cry, but my parents were upset. I think I was probably in denial’
Laura Dunne is just 22 but has been through surgery for bowel cancer. Early detection is key
Laura Dunne: “I put off going to the doctor for months because I was embarrassed to talk about my bowels or to tell my friends and family that I was in pain.”
Most of the almost 2,800 people in Ireland who are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year are over 50. But it affects younger people, too, as Laura Dunne knows only too well.
At just 22, she has been through diagnosis and surgery to remove cancerous cells from her bowel and says that everyone, no matter how old they are, should be aware of the signs and not be reluctant to go to the doctor.