A swollen stomach, fatigue setting in, approaching forty… For many women, these signs first evoke perimenopause.
When the pain becomes stronger, the consultation sometimes arrives late. This is what happened to a 44-year-old mother. Behind persistent bloating was actually already advanced colorectal cancer.
Bloating and fatigue: Laura Dawson’s journey before diagnosis
Laura Dawson, originally from London, died on June 29, 2025, fifteen months after being diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in March 2024, with lymph node involvement. For several months, she had attributed her symptoms to perimenopause. His story illustrates a situation that oncologists encounter more and more often in people under 50 years old.
At first, Laura Dawson suffered from bloating and persistent fatigue. She thought her bloated belly and exhaustion were related to hormonal changes. She only consulted when the abdominal pain became so intense that she could no longer move.
When he arrived at the hospital, doctors discovered an intestinal obstruction. They removed the mass causing the obstruction before performing a biopsy. Tests confirmed stage 3 colorectal cancer, which had already spread to the lymph nodes.
Laura Dawson then underwent five months of chemotherapy. In August 2024, a CT scan no longer showed a tumor. But in September, a new examination revealed that the cancer continued to progress.
“It was absolutely heartbreaking,” her husband, Ben Dawson, told several British media.
In May 2025, Laura Dawson chose to interrupt treatment to spend time with her loved ones. She then declared to the Daily Mail and the Mirror: “Some of the happiest days of my life have been in recent weeks. As a society, we shy away from the process of dying. In doing so, we reinforce negative ideas about death.”
She added: “People think that death will always be painful and traumatic, but it doesn’t have to be.”
Perimenopause or colorectal cancer: when the symptoms are similar
Colon cancer often remains associated with older people. However, its incidence among those under 50 has doubled worldwide over the last twenty years.
In Laura Dawson’s case, bloating and fatigue were mistaken for common symptoms of perimenopause. This type of confusion can delay diagnosis.
Doctors point out that a new digestive symptom, which persists or worsens, merits a consultation. This is also the case when it is accompanied by other signs, such as significant abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss or a lasting change in intestinal transit.