Being diagnosed with cancer is terrible at any age, but for younger people it can be a particular shock. That's something South Wales East AM Steffan Lewis knows only too well, having being diagnosed with the condition last December - aged just 33. He spoke to IAN CRAIG about his journey since receiving the devastating news.

PEOPLE diagnosed with cancer often say nothing can prepare you for the moment you are told you have the condition.

Steffan Lewis, who was first elected as Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales East in May 2016, was given the devastating news in December last year - aged just 33.

He first went to the doctor after suffering severe stomach pains.

“I thought I was going to be told I had gallstones," he said. "After having tests and a scan, I was sat down with the consultant who broke the news that I had stage four bowel cancer.

“He said it had spread to my liver, lymph nodes and to my lung as well.

"To be told they weren’t optimistic of a cure was an enormous shock.

“I was 33 at the time.

"The last thing you think of when you’re a little unwell in your thirties is that it’s cancer.”

Since then the father-of-one, who grew up in Crosskeys, Tredegar, and today lives in Blackwood, has been undergoing treatment at Cardiff's Velindre Hospital, and in February had a close call when his liver started failing - but doctors were able to save him.

He said the support of his friends and family, particularly his wife Shona, had been invaluable during his treatment.

“Having friends and family around me has been crucial for externalising my journey,” he said.

“There was a big risk early on for me internalising things and I was concerned that was going to really affect me mentally.

"But I’ve got such a good network of family and friends which makes such a difference.”

In July Mr Lewis' sister Nia arranged a fundraising walk in aid of Velindre as a birthday present for her brother - which raised more than £15,000.

And he said he gains a lot of strength from his three-year-old son, Celyn, who he is currently writing a memoir for.

“Celyn is full of life, a mischief-maker and I love him to pieces," he said.

"He is someone who I have become ever closer to.

"Even though he doesn’t understand I’m on a cancer journey, I think children are able to pick up that mammy and daddy need a cwtch and I certainly get plenty from him.”

Now Mr Lewis, who was the youngest AM in the Assembly when he was elected in May 2016 at just 32, is backing this month's Stand up to Cancer campaign, and has been pictured wearing two wristbands to represent the two people who are diagnosed with the condition every year.

The campaign, run by Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, has raised £38 million since it was launched in 2012, which has gone towards new clinical trials and the development of new treatments and tests. Backed by a number of celebs including Davina McCall, Alan Carr and Kirsty Allsopp, the month-long campaign will culminate with a telethon on Channel 4 on Friday, October 26.

Mr Lewis said: “I think it’s terrifying that two people every hour are diagnosed with cancer in this country.

"It strikes me when I’m sat in the waiting room at the cancer centre and I look around and I see not just the number of people, but also the variety of people – young and old.”

He added: “I know how important research is as I’m on a clinical drug trial myself.

"If it wasn’t for campaigns like Stand Up To Cancer, patients like me wouldn’t be benefitting from the latest treatments.

“I’m responding well to the treatment and have been able to take a break from chemotherapy.

"The hope is that I can continue with the trial and have a really good Christmas and New Year with my family.”

Cancer Research UK spokeswoman for Wales Ruth Amies said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Steffan for supporting Stand Up To Cancer.

“By supporting Stand Up To Cancer people in Wales could help to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. The more people that join the fight now, the sooner we can beat cancer for everyone.”

In the meantime, Mr Lewis is continuing his work in the Assembly as much as he can, and is often seen taking part in debates in the Senedd - although he is no longer the youngest AM, having been supplanted by Jack Sargeant, who was elected as AM for Alyn and Deeside in a by-election in February following the death of his father, ex-minister Carl Sargeant, at 23 years old.

Earlier this year Mr Lewis was the brains behind the Welsh Government's EU Continuity Bill, which was intended to keep EU law in devolved areas in place in Wales post-Brexit and was fast-tracked through the Assembly in just a month, and was widely hailed as a ground-breaking piece of legislation.

He said: “Even though the cancer inevitably dictates so much in my life, I’m going to keep on fighting it in terms of it not allowing it to diminish who I am, my personality and what makes me, me.

“A great part of my identity is being a politician. I love being a parliamentarian and it’s an honour to serve in the National Assembly. Doing what I love is a demonstration that I’m still Steffan Lewis, and I’m still in charge of my own identity.”

For more information on Stand up to Cancer visit standuptocancer.org.uk

CANCER FACTFILE

Someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer once every two minutes.

One in every two people born after 1960 will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime.

Cancer kills more people worldwide than Aids, malaria and tuberculosis combined. It is the world's second-biggest killer after cardiovascular disease.

More than one in four deaths in the UK are caused by cancer.

There are more than 200 types of cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common form of the disease in the UK, accounting for 15 per cent of cases, followed by prostate and lung cancers, at 13 per cent each, and bowel cancer, at 11 per cent.

Cancer survival rates in the UK have doubled over the past 40 years. Today, more than half of cancer patients live for ten years or more after their diagnosis.

Ninety-eight per cent of men diagnosed with testicular cancer in England and Wales survive for 10 years or more. In the 1970s this was around 70 per cent.

Breast, prostate, lung and bowel cancers account for more than half of new cases of cancer in the UK each year.

Eighty-two per cent of children diagnosed with cancer in the UK survive at least five years.