Mother of two hit by terminal bowel cancer – there was only one warning sign, it was nothing to do with her gut

A mother-of-two has been referred to end-of-life care after her extreme tiredness turned out to be the only sign of deadly, late stage bowel cancer. 

Karen Kennerley, 57, from Lancashire, first started experiencing fatigue in December 2022, but a GP performed a blood test and told her it was likely a sign of an iron deficiency.

The teacher assumed the problem could be related to her busy, full-time job.

‘I worked in a small school for special educational needs pupils, and I was working really hard at the time — I was exhausted,’ she said.

However, a doctor advised Ms Kennerley to undergo a colonoscopy to ‘rule out’ a serious bowel problem that could be causing her symptoms. 

A colonoscopy involves a thin, flexible tube attached to a camera being inserted into the bowel via the back passage in order to capture images of the digestive system. 

‘Everyone was telling me I was fit and healthy, that there was nothing to worry about but they were doing the tests to rule things out,’ she said.

The procedure ultimately revealed a tumour in her bowel — but doctors assured her it was non-cancerous. 

She underwent surgery to have the growth removed in May 2023, but the medic performing the operation halted it due to fears the lesion looked ‘suspicious’.

Biopsies were then taken and results showed it was in fact cancerous, with the previous diagnosis based on a ‘sampling error’. 

Ms Kennerley was ‘devastated’ to learn she had stage three bowel (also called colon) cancer — when the disease has spread to nearby glands but not yet to other organs.

She said: ‘I was devastated from being told that I was benign to then being told I have stage three colon cancer.

‘There were so many emotions. I was obviously devastated and then horrifically scared.’

In June 2023, Karen had a major surgery to remove the tumour and part of her large intestine.

Her care was then transferred to the Christie Hospital in Manchester, where she underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy.

Then, in March last year Ms Kennerley was rushed to hospital with suspected appendicitis, but subsequent scans showed fast-growing tumours on her ovaries and in the thin layer of tissue that lines the abdominal wall.

Howver, further tests ultimately revealed a tumour in her bowel — but doctors assured her it was non-cancerous

However, tragically subsequent biopsies showed the growth was in fact cancerous, with the previous diagnosis based on a ‘sampling error’

‘While I was there, they did a total hysterectomy,’ she said. 

‘During the surgery, the surgeon looked at my liver and was not happy with how it felt or looked.

‘After the operation, a further MRI scan showed that tumours had grown on my liver.’

While doctors could offer chemotherapy to attempt to shrink the tumours, they told her this was unlikely to destroy the cancer.

‘Unfortunately, because the cancer has now spread to my liver, the NHS cannot offer other treatment except palliative chemo,’ she said.

‘I’ve gone through the mill but my time is running out.’  

Now, Ms Kennerley has pinned her hopes on a specialised chemotherapy treatment available in Germany, which costs around £30,000. 

Ms Kennerley has pinned her hopes on a specialised chemotherapy treatment available in Germany, which costs around £30,000

The therapy, which feeds chemotherapy drugs directly into the blood vessels that keep tumours alive, is only available on the NHS for the treatment of liver cancer.

‘The results I have had so far show that the tumours have shrunk nicely but I still need further treatment,’ she said.

‘I have had three rounds so far and I am now out of money.

‘The mental torment is horrendous, worrying about not working, worrying about how I will fund the treatment.

‘I am on statutory sick pay which runs out at the beginning of April.

‘People with stage four cancer feel totally abandoned, I want to change that, not only for me, but for everyone else going through this.’