Laura Corby, a 54-year-old mother of two from Deal in Kent, agreed to have her bowel surgery live-streamed for surgical training in October 2025, but the procedure was halted when doctors discovered what appeared to be cancer during the operation.
She had initially experienced stomach pain in August 2024 and was diagnosed with gallstones after initial tests, but ongoing symptoms and changes in her bowel movements led her to complete a bowel cancer screening test sent by post in early summer 2025.
The test confirmed traces of blood in her stool, prompting a colposcopy where small polyp growths were removed, and a larger growth was identified for surgical removal.
When surgeons at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate examined the growth during the live-streamed procedure, they determined it looked like cancer and could not be removed that day, leading to a separate operation in October where the tumour and 30cm of her bowel were removed.
Corby said she felt grateful the cancer was caught early and had not spread, meaning she did not require chemotherapy or further treatment after surgery.
Despite having her temporary stoma removed early due to muscular spasm pain and vomiting — including vomiting up bowel products — she said the positive outcome kept her going through recovery.
She praised the medical team, saying: “All the way through the team have been fantastic: the surgeons, the stoma team, the nurses, and everyone else who has been supporting me.”
Corby now urges others to participate in bowel cancer screening when invited, emphasizing that the disease does not discriminate based on lifestyle.
NHS bowel screening has detected thousands of cancers over two decades
The NHS bowel cancer screening programme has diagnosed thousands of cases since its launch, with nearly seven million people participating in 2024/25 — a significant increase from 4.7 million in 2014/15.
Over 20 years, the programme has identified 70,000 bowel cancer cases and placed an additional 270,000 people under monitoring after screening flagged them as higher risk.
Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said the NHS has transformed bowel screening, making it easier to detect cancer early and simpler to treat when caught sooner.
He urged anyone aged 50 to 74 to take part, noting that the NHS sends eligible individuals a home test kit that takes minutes to complete.
The screening programme began in 2006 for people in their 60s and has since expanded to cover the 50 to 74 age group.
Charity leader highlights screening as vital for early detection
Genevieve Edwards, chief executive of Bowel Cancer UK, described bowel cancer as the UK’s fourth most common cancer but stressed It’s treatable and curable, especially when diagnosed early.
She said screening is one of the best ways to detect the disease early or remove polyps before they develop into cancer, and encouraged eligible individuals to take the test when invited.
What did Laura Corby say about her medical team?
She said all the way through her treatment, the surgeons, stoma team, nurses, and everyone supporting her had been fantastic.
How many people took part in NHS bowel screening in 2024/25?
Almost seven million people participated in NHS bowel screening in 2024/25.
