A 39-year-old fitness coach mistook her colon cancer symptoms for IBS
A 39-year-old fitness coach and marathon runner was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer after dismissing symptoms as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Her case highlights the danger of misattributing persistent health changes to pre-existing conditions.
Why it matters
It serves as a critical health warning about the importance of medical screening and not ignoring persistent symptoms, even for those who appear physically fit.
Danni Duncan was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer at 39 after experiencing changes in her bowel movements, bloating, and extreme fatigue. Danni Duncan Danni Duncan, 40, had IBS since early childhood. Her symptoms improved when she changed her diet. When she started experiencing changes in her bowel movements, she assumed it was due to her IBS. She was diagnosed with colon cancer after experiencing extreme fatigue caused by severe anemia. From a very young age, Danni Duncan struggled with IBS symptoms . "I remember being maybe around 5 or 6 and really being in so much pain, literally on my hands and knees in the bathroom," Duncan, 40, told Business Insider. She was put on elimination diets throughout primary school and diagnosed with IBS when she was around 11. Duncan, who lives in the Gold Coast of Australia, said she grew up eating McDonald's, frozen pizzas, and Pop-Tarts.
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