Woman, 30, devastated after ‘lactose intolerance’ turns out to be symptom of incurable bladder cancer

A woman was told by doctors that her stomach problems, including nausea and vomiting, were likely due to food intolerances and irritable bowel syndrome, but they were actually symptoms of an incurable type of cancer. 

Lauren Carey, 30, from Banstead in Surrey, was born with a rare condition called bladder exstrophy, meaning that her bladder developed outside of her body while she was in the womb.

This occurs when the skin over the lower abdomen does not form properly, so the bladder is open and exposed on the outside of the body. 

As a result, babies born with the condition may have related problems affecting their urinary tract and pelvic bones. 

This was the case for Ms Carey, and despite undergoing a series of operations over the first few years of her life, at just eight-years-old she was fitted with a catheter. 

Heartbreakingly, the former supermarket manager was then diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder in 2022—a rare but aggressive cancer associated with long-term urinary catheter use and chronic infections. 

Thankfully, surgeons were able to remove her bladder, replacing it with a stoma—a new opening in the skin of the abdomen for urine to pass through and out of the body—which they believed would prevent the cancer from spreading. 

However in November 2025, she was given the devastating news that not only had the cancer returned, it had spread to her pelvis and abdomen and was therefore incurable. 

Her sister, Megan, 28,  is now urging others to advocate for their health after her sister’s symptoms were initially dismissed. 

She said: ‘It was sort of like she was dairy intolerant, every time she would eat certain foods it would make her sick.

‘But doctors just dismissed her and said it was IBS. Lauren didn’t believe this, but she also didn’t feel unwell at this point so she didn’t believe it was cancer either.’ 

When Ms Carey first raised her concerns, she was told that she was likely suffering from a urinary tract infection (UTI) – a condition which has been linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer – and turned away. 

‘Every time she called the doctors, they wouldn’t even see her, they would just put her on antibiotics and say it was a UTI,’ her sister said.  

But when Ms Carey started experiencing stomach problems, including abdominal pain, nausea, bloating and extreme fatigue, she pushed for a second opinion, where she was told her symptoms were probably being caused by food intolerances. 

It wasn’t until she found a lump on her stomach, which doctors initially dismissed as an infection, that she found out via the NHS app that she was being referred to palliative care for cancer.  

‘It was awful to hear,’ her sister recalled. ‘We were devastated. They said from the start that if this cancer returned there was nothing they could do.’ 

Both the NHS and private hospitals have informed the family that there are no appropriate treatment options available that wouldn’t damage her organs or put untold strain on her immune system, that would likely kill her. 

‘Now we are just trying to make memories with her.’ 

But Megan feels that her sister has been let down by doctors, who didn’t take their concerns seriously, and is now fundraising to help her sister live out her bucket-list dreams as they plan for what could be her final years. 

She said: ‘The doctors could definitely have done better. They have been awful. Lauren wanted  to complain but it is not worth it now, because it takes years and she won’t be here to see the outcome.’

She added that the family were never made aware that long-term catheter use can increase the risk of bladder cancer.

‘So please, if something does not feel right with your body, just push and push, don’t let the doctors fob you off.’ 

At the top of Ms Carey list is going to Port Lympne Safari Park to stay in a lodge surrounded by grazing animals. 

Megan said: ‘She really wants to go there so that is what we are trying to aim for. She has never wanted children, her animals are her children. 

‘I was very shocked when people started donating and when I told Lauren, she said: “no one is going to donate for me.”

‘So for her to see that people do actually care has been so nice,’ the mother-of-one added.

In response, a spokesperson from Modality East Surrey Medical Practice, who are in charge of Ms Carey’s GP surgery, said: ‘As a practice, we have provided care for Ms Carey and her family and we will continue to support them during this very difficult time. 

‘We are truly sorry for what they are going through and our thoughts remain with them. 

‘If Ms Carey or her family have any questions or worries about the care they have received, the practice would gently encourage them to get in touch so that staff can listen, understand and offer further help.’

Around 21,000 people living in the UK are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year, according to Action Bladder Cancer UK. 

If spotted early, it can usually be cured using a combination of surgery or drug therapies. However, if the disease spreads out of the bladder and into the surrounding organs, then it almost always becomes incurable. 

But in August this year, it was announced that a new treatment for advanced bladder cancer that doubles life expectancy is set for use on the NHS. 

Patients diagnosed with stage four bladder cancer, which accounts for around one in ten cases, will be offered a combination of an antibody drug called enfortumab, and pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug.

It is estimated that 1,250 people a year could benefit from the treatment.