Grandad's life saved by allergic reaction to heartburn tablet

A man survived stage 3 bowel cancer after having an allergic reaction to an acid reflux tablet. Grandad-of-seven Steven Wise, 70, was taken to hospital after taking medicine that combats indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux.

He was given a scan after his bad reaction and ended up being diagnosed with cancer – despite having zero symptoms of the illness. An operation was a complete success with surgeons successfully removing all of the cancerous mass from his bowel.

Steven, from Hampstead, London, who teaches football and tennis, said: “If it wasn’t for that tablet reaction, I’d never have known I had cancer, it’s given me a second chance to live life to the fullest."

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Steven was taken to the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, in September 2023, after having an allergic reaction to a lansoprazole – and acid reflux tablet. The reaction was so severe he feared he would die and required an adrenaline shot.

“My body didn’t take well to it at all, and I totally panicked,” he said. What Steven didn’t realise was that this reaction would be a blessing in disguise as doctors, concerned about Steven's reaction, ordered an endoscopy and a CT scan to be done.

"Within a week, they called me back to say that they had actually found stage 3 cancer in my bowel. I was in complete shock, I hadn’t had any symptoms. Without that scan, it would have gone to stage 4 and I would have almost certainly died."

Steven was shocked with the diagnosis, but also grateful, as he had only had the scan because of the reaction. “Otherwise I felt fine,” he said. “It just shows.”

Steven went into surgery at the Royal Free Hospital at the end of September 2023 to remove the cancerous growth, only three weeks after going into hospital for the allergic reaction. The operation was a complete success, with surgeons successfully removing all of the cancerous mass from his bowel. Steven praises the medical team at the Royal Free, who, as he describes, went above and beyond to ensure his comfort.

He said: "They were incredible. The doctors originally warned me I might need a stoma bag, but I asked them if there was any way around it."

Steven praised the doctors for the compassionate approach they took, with Steven pleading with them to do the operation without requiring him to have a stoma bag. “The surgeon even re-stitched me just so he could prevent me having a stoma bag, I’m so grateful.”

His treatment plan included chemotherapy in tablet form as a precaution to prevent the cancer from returning. But after a few weeks, he had to discontinue them due to side effects like swelling and exhaustion. Despite this, his recovery continued smoothly, and Steven recently received his all-clear – almost exactly a year after his surgery.

He’s now in a five-year follow-up program, and his latest colonoscopy showed no signs of cancer. And he has no plans on giving up his sports coaching.

“I was always told the chair is the enemy, you’ve got to keep doing stuff and keep active. I’m kept busy with my grandchildren and life is good. I’m out playing golf again and truly grateful to be here."