Dad, 36, Reveals Common Mistake That Delayed His Serious Cancer Diagnosis

A 36-year-old man with a wife and young child thought he had a case of food poisoning — but it turned out to be cancer.

Mathew Duggan of Tasmania, Australia, noticed a change in his bowel habits in February 2024, per the Daily Mail. He told the outlet that he began experiencing diarrhea but “thought it would just go away.”

Duggan said the symptom “dragged on” for “about a month,” adding, “then I started to feel pain, and eventually I noticed blood in my stool. That’s when I finally called the doctor.”

His doctor initially reassured him that it was “nothing serious.”

Duggan recalled, “Because of my age, I was told it would probably just be hemorrhoids or polyps. Cancer wasn’t on the radar.”

However, a colonoscopy revealed that he had a 4-inch cancerous tumor in his bowel — news that he never expected.

“At 36, you’re focused on work, family, your little girl. Cancer just doesn’t cross your mind,” Duggan told the Daily Mail.

Duggan had surgery on the tumor in May 2024. He then underwent six months of chemotherapy, which he said was the most grueling part of the process due to the neuropathy pain the treatment caused in his lower extremities. 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“The neuropathy in my feet got so bad that there were times I wanted to cut both my legs off. It felt like someone stabbing the bottoms of my feet constantly — pins and needles, burning, just unbearable pain. I couldn’t walk from the bed to the fridge. Some days I couldn’t go to work. It was the worst pain of my life,” he recalled.

He also said that he and his wife chose not to tell their then-3-year-old daughter about his diagnosis.

“She [my daughter] didn’t come with me to the hospital or see me during chemo. We didn’t want to expose her to it,” he said.

He added, “She only knows the positives now — the fundraising we’ve done, the support we’ve had from the community. She’s been my biggest little supporter without even knowing what I was going through.”

Duggan also said he opted to keep his diagnosis a secret from many people in his life. 

“I didn’t want my life to change. I didn’t want people coming up to me all the time, asking how I was, looking at me differently because I had cancer. I just wanted to get on with treatment quietly and try to keep things normal,” he explained.

Duggan told the outlet he began seeking community in cancer support groups, which made him feel less alone.

“It was a relief to finally see I wasn’t the only one. That helped lift a weight off my shoulders,” he said.

As for the advice he hopes to impart to others after his experience with diagnosis and treatment?

“Your body tells you when something’s wrong. Don’t wait. Don’t let anyone dismiss it because of your age. If I had ignored it any longer, it could have been too late,” Duggan said.

In May, Duggan ran more than 300 miles over 12 days as part of a “Do It For Cancer” fundraising event. 

“I’m wanting to create awareness around bowel cancer, especially in young people, as every health professional I’ve seen across my journey told me that I’m too young to have [it],” he wrote on the fundraising page.

He continued, “I want to make young people aware of the symptoms and to get checked as early as possible to stop young people dying from this disease.”

According to the Cancer Research Institute, rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) among young people are on the rise, with 20% of those diagnosed now under the age of 55. 

Additionally, there has been “a consistent annual 2% increase in cases among adults ages 20-39,” since the mid-1990s. Experts believe the increase is related to more sedentary lifestyles, as well as “an increased consumption of processed foods and red meat,” per the Institute.