Market Harborough woman to make special documentary about early-onset cancer after own diagnosis at 43

A Market Harborough woman is preparing to take six young cancer warriors from around the globe to Sri Lanka to explore healing, recovery and life after an early-onset cancer diagnosis.

Emma Steed, 44, was told she had bowel cancer in 2025 after more than a year of being dismissed by doctors.

She explained: “I knew something was wrong with me in 2024, and I kept going back to the doctors.

“I was ignored for a year, basically fobbed off, dismissed.”

Doctors had told her the pain she was experiencing was down to fibroids in her uterus.

But Emma said: “That wasn’t fibroids; it was the bowel cancer metastasising to my ovaries.”

By the time her CEA levels, also known as ‘tumour markers’, were tested at Leicester General Hospital in May 2025, they had reached 4,000.

She believes earlier investigation could have made a difference.

Emma said: “A simple CEA test would have shown that my CEA levels were super high, and further testing for cancer would have been appropriate at that time.

“There’s lots of early-onset cancer now, and so often people are dismissed because they’re not looking for those symptoms.”

Initially following her diagnosis, Emma was offered palliative care, which she declined and instead pushed for stoma bag surgery.

In the end, she made a referral to University College London Hospitals (UCLH), where she underwent surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible.

She said the operation saved her life and gave her another year to travel, pursue adventures and enjoy experiences she had feared she might never have again.

She also raised £13,000 for Maggie’s by abseiling down the Leadenhall Building in London.

Emma explained: “It gave me the most wonderful year.

“I’ve done three surf trips. I’ve done a Via Ferrata. I’ve travelled to numerous countries. I’ve done charity work in Guyana.

“I’ve really lived, and I think that’s the point.

“I’m a young, fit, healthy and busy person. I need to be active. I need to be doing something.”

Emma, who splits her time between the town and London for her chemotherapy, is focussing on raising awareness about early-onset cancer and the signs to look out for through a documentary.

She said: “I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through.”

The 44-year-old is taking six young people from different countries who have experienced early-onset cancer to Sri Lanka.

She said: “I want it to be uplifting. I want positive stories. I want success stories. I want to show what the path of healing looks like and life after cancer.”

The group includes participants from England, Spain and Australia.

One of those involved is Angus, an Australian who experienced cancer twice before the age of 12 and a 32-year-old woman from Barcelona who was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Emma said: “The aim of the documentary is to raise awareness and to look at the different healthcare systems around the globe and see who’s getting what, see what everybody’s doing.

“I just want to do something positive and uplifting, and just show people how to advocate.”

The documentary will also feature interviews with people who have survived early-onset cancer, including Lord Stuart Polak.

She met him while doing charity work in Guyana. The life peer was diagnosed with brain cancer at 27 and was initially given six months to live.

The documentary is currently being developed with a Sri Lankan film crew already on the ground.

The team is now aiming to travel at the end of February.

So far, around £11,000 has been raised for the project, but around £190,000 is still needed.

Donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-great-cancer-rally-the-path-of-healing

Despite having a prognosis of just three months, Emma is set to travel to South Asia for the trip and produce the documentary.

She added: “I’m absolutely determined to make this documentary.”