‘Healthy’ 38-year-old shares the only bowel cancer symptom he noticed — And it wasn’t blood in the loo
Important to be aware of the signs… Dave Paxton, a 38-year-old dad from Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was shocked to learn he had an extremely rare and aggressive form of bowel cancer — one that’s only been seen in 22 people worldwide.
He didn’t have the usual symptoms like bleeding. In fact, the only thing he noticed was that his stool had become unusually dark. Dave mentioned this almost by accident during a chat with a pharmacist while picking up anxiety medication. The pharmacist asked a routine question about other health issues — and that small moment led Dave to book a GP appointment just days later.
Doctors ran tests and did an endoscopy. That’s when they discovered he had a grade-four squamous cell tumour in the duodenum — a part of the small intestine.
Since the diagnosis, the cancer has sadly spread to his liver, and Dave now needs blood transfusions every four days due to internal bleeding. He’s currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy in hopes of stopping it from spreading any further.
“This is terrifying,” Dave shared. “The side effects of treatment are horrible, but I’m so thankful the pharmacist asked me that question. I had noticed the change, but I wasn’t too worried at the time.”
He added that hearing the diagnosis was overwhelming. “I just thought of my son and broke down. But I knew I had to stay strong and keep going. The doctors can’t say how long I have — they’re treating me to give me as much time as possible.”
His twin brother, Mark, has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for a treatment that might give Dave a second chance — an immunotherapy drug called pembrolizumab.
“This drug has worked on this type of cancer in other parts of the body, and sometimes even brought full remission. But because it hasn’t been tested for cancer in this specific location, Dave’s insurance won’t pay for it. Time is running out. We’re fighting cancer — and the clock,” Mark explained in the fundraiser.
The hope is that if Dave can receive all 24 sessions of immunotherapy, he might reach remission and have a chance to enjoy Christmas with his son Stanley.
Doctors still don’t know how he developed such a rare cancer at such a young age — calling it “bad luck.” But Dave remains hopeful, believing that this treatment could give him the fresh start he needs.
Please share this with your loved ones to help raise awareness — and maybe even save a life.
