Fit young dad, 36, reveals the common mistake that delayed his serious cancer diagnosis – before doctors insisted it was ‘nothing serious’

When Mathew Duggan started suffering changes to his bowel habits in February 2024, cancer was the last thing on his mind.

At 36 years old, the Tasmanian dad dismissed the symptoms as nothing more than food poisoning, recalling a similar situation in his teens after eating raw chicken.

‘I thought it would just go away,’ Mathew told the Daily Mail, adding he suffered diarrhoea for ‘about a month’.

‘It dragged on. Then I started to feel pain, and eventually I noticed blood in my stool. That’s when I finally called the doctor.’

Even then, he was reassured it was ‘nothing serious’.

‘Because of my age, I was told it would probably just be haemorrhoids or polyps. Cancer wasn’t on the radar,’ he said.

But after his colonoscopy, the news was devastating: doctors discovered a 10cm tumour in his bowel.

‘The GP had told me beforehand not to worry,’ he said quietly.

When Mathew Duggan started suffering changes to his bowel habits in February 2024, cancer was the last thing on his mind 

‘Afterwards, they apologised and said, “I shouldn’t have said that, you actually have bowel cancer”.’

For Mathew, who had no family history of the disease and considered himself healthy and fit, the diagnosis was life-altering.

‘At 36 you’re focused on work, family, your little girl. Cancer just doesn’t cross your mind,’ he said.

He underwent major surgery in May 2024 to remove part of his bowel, followed by six months of chemotherapy.

While the operation itself was frightening, he described chemotherapy as the most brutal part of his ordeal.

‘The neuropathy in my feet got so bad that there were times I wanted to cut both my legs off,’ he said.

‘It felt like someone stabbing the bottoms of my feet constantly – pins and needles, burning, just unbearable pain. I couldn’t walk from the bed to the fridge. Some days I couldn’t go to work. It was the worst pain of my life.’

Alongside the physical toll came the emotional weight of protecting his family.

At 36 years old, the Tasmanian dad dismissed the symptoms as nothing more than food poisoning, recalling a similar situation in his teens after eating raw chicken 

After a colonoscopy, the news was devastating: there was a 10cm tumour in Mathew’s bowel

His daughter, who had just turned three, was shielded from the treatment.

‘She didn’t come with me to the hospital or see me during chemo,’ Mathew explained.

‘At that age, we didn’t want to expose her to it. She only knows the positives now – the fundraising we’ve done, the support we’ve had from the community. She’s been my biggest little supporter without even knowing what I was going through.’

However, at first, Mathew chose to keep his diagnosis a secret, and only his parents and wife knew the truth.

‘I didn’t want my life to change,’ he said.

‘I didn’t want people coming up to me all the time, asking how I was, looking at me differently because I had cancer. I just wanted to get on with treatment quietly and try to keep things normal.’

Even at work, Mathew only told a couple of colleagues.

‘It was a massive shock for my family, but for everyone else, I just wanted to keep it private,’ he explained.

‘I blamed myself, in a way. I didn’t know anyone my age who’d had bowel cancer. It felt like something that wasn’t supposed to happen to me.’

The chemotherapy may be over, but the lasting damage is something Mathew carries with him every day

But as he went through surgery and chemotherapy, Mathew realised he wasn’t alone.

Research led him to support groups and information from Bowel Cancer Australia.

He discovered a growing number of younger Australians facing the same nightmare.

‘It was a relief to finally see I wasn’t the only one,’ he said.

‘That helped lift a weight off my shoulders.’

Doctors have long described bowel cancer as an ‘older person’s disease’, but the numbers tell a different story.

Cases in Australians under 50 have been climbing steadily for years, with health experts warning of a disturbing trend.

Many, like Mathew, are initially dismissed by their GPs because of their age, delaying diagnosis until the disease has already advanced.

According to Bowel Cancer Australia, it is now the deadliest cancer for people aged 25 to 34 and the second most common cause of cancer death in Australians aged 25 to 49.

Specialists are urging younger people to push for screening if they notice persistent changes to their digestion, bowel habits, or blood in the stool – even if they are told they’re ‘too young’ to worry.

While the operation itself was frightening, Mathew described chemotherapy as the most brutal part of his ordeal

‘Your body tells you when something’s wrong. Don’t wait. Don’t let anyone dismiss it because of your age. If I had ignored it any longer, it could have been too late,’ the young dad said

Today, life for Mathew looks very different.

The chemotherapy may be over, but the lasting damage is something he carries with him every day.

The neuropathy in his feet has eased, but never gone away completely.

‘It’s a constant reminder of what I’ve been through,’ he said.

His diet has changed too. Red meat and ultra-processed foods are now off the table, replaced by a focus on whole, simple meals.

It’s a conscious shift towards health, but also a way to feel like he has some control after months of treatment stripped that away.

‘I don’t go a day without thinking about cancer,’ Mathew admitted.

‘But I try to channel that into living better now, not worrying about the what-ifs.’

For Mathew, the road ahead is filled with regular scans and check-ups, and the lingering fear that the cancer might one day return.

‘Your body tells you when something’s wrong,’ he said.

‘Don’t wait. Don’t let anyone dismiss it because of your age. If I had ignored it any longer, it could have been too late.’