Azucena Reyes was 32 when she began experiencing severe nausea and stomach pain, leading to a hospital visit in October 2015. Despite her symptoms, doctors initially dismissed the possibility of colon cancer due to her age and ethnicity, telling her she was too young and not of the typical demographic for the disease. Weeks later, she was diagnosed with stage 3B colon cancer. Reyes, a Hispanic woman, faced delays in diagnosis, reflecting a broader trend where younger adults, especially Hispanic and Latino people, are seeing rising rates of colorectal cancer. Medical guidelines previously recommended screening at age 50, but the American Cancer Society revised that to age 45 in 2018, followed by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in 2021.
Richard Wender, MD, Medical Advisor at the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, emphasized that symptoms should prompt diagnostic testing regardless of age. He advised individuals under 45 with symptoms to consult their doctors about non-colonoscopy screenings like FIT-DNA, FIT-RNA, or fecal immunochemical testing. Reyes underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy—more than initially expected—and experienced significant side effects, including weight gain from 120 to nearly 250 pounds, numbness in her feet, and lasting digestive issues. She continues managing low thyroid function, low B12, and low iron, requiring regular shots and infusions. Reyes now lives with permanent changes, including dietary restrictions and the need for accessible restrooms, but remains vigilant with routine screenings and a high-fiber, low-processed-meat diet. She notes that the chemotherapy she received is no longer in use, expressing hope for continued medical advances.
|||NAJABUZZ_TAKE||| A doctor's assumption that colon cancer only affects older Black patients delayed a diagnosis in a 32-year-old Hispanic woman despite her symptoms. This reflects a dangerous gap in how race and age biases can shape medical judgment even as cancer patterns shift. Reyes' experience underscores how outdated stereotypes in medicine can lead to real harm. The medical community now faces pressure to align screening practices with emerging data on younger, diverse populations.
The rising rates of colorectal cancer among younger adults, especially Hispanic and Latino people, highlight a gap in early diagnosis due to outdated assumptions about age and race. This matters because delayed recognition of symptoms can lead to later-stage diagnoses, even as screening guidelines have shifted to recommend testing at age 45.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
