Woman undergoes extensive surgery for bowel cancer after years of ignored symptoms

Claire Boulton, 47, recently underwent a 12-hour surgery to reconstruct her bowels and vagina using pig skin after being diagnosed with bowel cancer on her wedding day in April 2019. This surgery followed years of dismissed symptoms. The operation involved removing her bowel, scaffolding her vagina, and performing a tummy tuck to alleviate pain from excess skin. Claire hopes this will improve her quality of life and allow her to be more active with her family. The NHS has expanded its bowel cancer screening program to include those aged 50 in England, aiming to catch the disease earlier. The program sends home test kits to check for blood in stool samples, a key symptom of bowel cancer.