Around 6,600 people are diagnosed with stomach cancer every year in Britain. Despite the disease not being one of the most common cancers, it causes around 4,200 deaths in the UK each year.
It is more often found in older patients over the age of 55, yet recent figures suggest the disease is becoming increasingly common among younger adults.
In fact, 23-year-old Ella Wenlock took to TikTok to share her own story with the disease in a bid to raise awareness, documenting her symptoms from the age of 14.
Since that age, the cancer patient explained that she had “struggled” with her uterus and bowel, experiencing “really bad” periods and abdominal discomfort.
TikToker Ella Wenlock took to the platform to share her own story
@ellawenlock/TikTok
For two years, she went “back and forth” to the doctor's surgery, until she had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy - which eventually revealed that she was suffering from H. pylori.
This type of bacteria manifests as a type of stomach infection, which was “eating away at her stomach and gastric tract”, rinsing her body of any nutritious vitamins.
After she received the prescribed antibiotics to banish the infection, she said she experienced “immense pain”, repeatedly seeing doctors, going to the hospital, and undergoing tests.
In 2024, she first started reporting more extreme symptoms, including spitting out blood. However, she started finding blood in her stool from the age of 14.
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“This has just been a regular thing. So I know that that's kind of normal for my body. I guess I know it's not normal, but nothing has ever been done about it, and no one has ever really helped me with any of it, or told me why, or the reasons why,” she added.
Early stage stomach cancer symptoms can be fairly ambiguous and could imitate less serious issues, including the stomach flu. Such symptoms include persistent indigestion, heartburn, feeling full fast after meals and stomach pain.
Meanwhile, as it progresses, unexplained weight loss, a loss of appetite, vomiting with blood and blood in the stool or black stools can be indicative of the condition.
“I always knew that there's something not right with my body, and that's why I've been back and forth to the doctors all the time. However, I feel like I've never been listened to,” Ella said.
After returning from abroad, her symptoms began to deteriorate, leaving her feeling worse than before. “About a week of being home, I went to the toilet just like normal. I had a little bit of stomach cramps and filled the whole toilet up with blood,” she added.
Around 6,600 people are diagnosed with stomach cancer every year in the UK
GETTY
After rushing to the doctor’s, Ella said that she was told that her cancer test from the year before had not been sent off to be assessed.
Now, after completing another test, she has received a notification on the NHS app that she was being put on the fast-track treatment for stomach cancer. Later, she was told by a GP that she could be suffering from endometriosis and endometriosis of the bowel.
Additionally, she was informed that several of her symptoms warranted further investigation, which had previously not been conducted.
In the video, she urged others who felt similarly concerned by their symptoms and “you know there’s something wrong with your body” to “keep pushing” for assessment.
If you are concerned about any potential symptoms, please consult a medical professional.
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