For many young people, seemingly minor physical changes or persistent, vague symptoms may not immediately signal a serious health crisis. However, for some, precious time is lost as subtle signs of aggressive cancer go unnoticed, sometimes with tragic consequences. The story of a 20-year-old student in the United Kingdom underscores the importance of vigilant medical assessment, especially when early symptoms can easily be mistaken for a less threatening disease.
Jenna Patel, a student from Bolton, England, was pursuing her dream of becoming a school teacher when she discovered a lump on her shoulder. As she had recently been working in gardening, she initially thought it might be an insect bite. However, the lump persisted and, according to the charity Cancer Research UK, began to grow rapidly in size. After undergoing a series of tests, Ms. Patel was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer, in the spring of 2021.
Ewing’s sarcoma is most common in children, adolescents and young adults, a period of rapid bone growth. Early symptoms include a dull or vague pain associated with the tumor, very different from the sensation of an injury, and sometimes significant swelling. This swelling can sometimes be mistaken for a condition such as a blood clot. Although the disease is very rare, with only 56 new cases diagnosed in the UK each year, its rapid progression highlights the urgency of early detection.
For Ms. Patel’s family, the news came especially hard because her father was also being treated for lung cancer at the same time. Speaking to Cancer Research UK about the moment Jenna was diagnosed, her mother Priti Patel said, “When we were told she had cancer, I felt numb. The news that her father was just a few miles down the road, also being treated for cancer, was too much for me to take in.”
Ms. Patel began chemotherapy immediately after her diagnosis in the spring of 2021. At first, doctors were optimistic that she would make a full recovery by March 2022 . However, after completing her initial course of chemotherapy and taking some time off to recuperate, the tumor in her shoulder began to grow rapidly again. A few weeks before the Christmas holiday, she underwent surgery to remove the tumor, which went well, but the tumor was found to be larger than expected.
In early 2022, Ms. Patel experienced breathing difficulties and her condition deteriorated further. Scans confirmed a devastating development: the cancer had spread to her lungs. By April, chemotherapy was no longer effective against this aggressive disease, and she was diagnosed with advanced disease. Jenna Patel passed away on May 13, 2022, tragically, shortly after her 21st birthday. Her story stems from a seemingly simple insect bite, but vividly illustrates how quickly aggressive cancers can attack and progress.
Unfortunately, Ms. Patel’s experience is not an isolated case. Across the United States, more and more young people are reporting delayed diagnoses of serious cancers, particularly colorectal cancer, after their symptoms were initially ignored or misattributed. The DailyMail.com has heard from many patients that their concerns were ignored because they were considered “too young” to have cancer, and some women were even labeled “exaggerated.”
Raquel Aguilar, 33, from California, had been experiencing severe diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by blood, off and on for three years. Initially, her doctor did not examine her further medically, but referred her to a psychologist. It was only three years later, after experiencing severe abdominal pain, that she was diagnosed with inoperable stage IV colon cancer, a diagnosis usually considered a death sentence.
By this time, the cancer had metastasized severely, spreading to her ovaries, liver, lungs and abdominal lining. Ms. Aguilar said, “I know these are typical colorectal cancers, but because I’m young, I’m female, I’m a minority, statistically speaking, just having one of these categories makes you more likely to be dismissed.” Her doctors now believe that she will need to undergo chemotherapy indefinitely, and even then, it is expected to be less effective for advanced disease.
Oncologists acknowledge that diagnosing cancer in young patients can be challenging, especially if symptoms are vague. Dr. Daniel Landau, an oncologist and hematologist, notes that colon cancer often develops with few or only nonspecific symptoms. These symptoms, which include easy fullness, excessive burping or changes in bowel habits, can easily be mistaken for common, less serious conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome or painful flatulence. Because these problems are much more common at a young age than colon cancer, many doctors simply don’t see them as signs of colon cancer,” explains Dr. Landau. He also offers a stern warning: “However, failure to consider these problems can mean a diagnostic failure.”
Cancer in young people is often detected at a later stage than in older age groups. This delay in diagnosis can greatly complicate treatment, especially if the cancer has grown or spread to other parts of the body by the time it is discovered. Statistics from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) show that one in four colon cancer cases are diagnosed at stages three and four. This disparity is further highlighted by recent studies that show younger patients are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with advanced colon cancer than older patients. For stage IV colon cancer that has spread to vital organs, the NCI estimates the five-year survival rate to be only 16 percent.
The stories of these young people who have suffered greatly from a delayed cancer diagnosis are a strong call for increased vigilance. It reminds us that while youth may offer perceptible protection against certain diseases, it does not confer immunity. Subtle whispers from the body, no matter how easily interpreted, deserve our careful attention and investigation.
Following Jenna Patel’s death, her family turned their grief into action, raising over £6,000 for cancer charities such as Cancer Research UK. Jenna’s mother described Jenna as a “very positive and determined person who inspired us all”. She added: “Her death has left a huge trauma in our lives and we miss her terribly. These personal experiences highlight the tragic human cost of missing early warning signs and reinforce the urgent need for healthcare practitioners and young people to be acutely aware and proactive about unexplained or persistent health changes.
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A 20-year-old thought she had an insect bite. She was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and died months later.
