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A young man has claimed doctors misdiagnosed his bowel cancer eight times as constipation - because they believed he was "too young" to have the disease .

George Hands, 25, says he was told he did not have cancer as he repeatedly returned to his GP in agony over a 12-month period.

The plasterer says he first visited his doctor in March last year but his complaints were dismissed as stomach cramps and constipation.

As George's condition became increasingly painful, he says he visited his GP again and asked if he might have Crohn's disease or cancer.

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But he claims medics repeatedly told him he was too young to have either condition and continued to treat him for stomach cramps by giving him laxatives.

Finally, on March 5 this year, George says he was referred to Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, Worcestershire.

After three days of investigations, a doctor examined him with a camera and found an 8cm-long tumour in his bowels - that had been growing for at least a year.

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George says he now has to use a colostomy bag and has been put on a course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy to shrink the cancer before it can be removed.

Yesterday George, who lives with fiancee Claire Vipond, 24, in Studley, Warwickshire, said: "When I was told I had cancer I was just devastated.

"I don't think it's ever not shocking to be told that, whether it's after two months of appointments or a year.

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"But the fact that they think it has been growing inside me all that time I was asking if it was cancer does upset me.

"The surgeons all said they never would have thought I could get bowel cancer at my age either.

"If this had been spotted when I first went in then it could have been removed easily. As it is they have to shrink it before hopefully getting it out.

"All the staff at the Alexandra have been incredible, and without them it would have been so difficult.

"It is just incredibly upsetting that my doctor never even considered me having cancer. After a while I started to think maybe I do just have constipation.

"It does make me a little bit angry at my doctor.

"But they think I have got a chance of surviving this, so I'm just going to put everything into beating this."

Claire has set up a JustGiving page in aid of Bowel Cancer UK which has already raised more than £2,000.

She said: "It was upsetting that it had been growing for a long time.

"We are heartbroken from the situation that George is in but we are staying positive together as a team and as a family and we know he will smash this.

"We want to raise funds for current and future research for Bowel Cancer UK and we want to raise as much awareness as we can.

"Age is just a number, and just because of your age you should never brush off your concerns you know your own body."

Worcestershire Health & Care NHS Trust has been contacted for comment.

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