A young doctor describes the pelvic pain and fatigue that led to her stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis
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- Dr. Lauren Juyia, a gynecologist in Florida, started feeling pelvic pain and fatigue.
- She got an ultrasound and knew a mass on her ovary was growing too quickly.
- She was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, which is being diagnosed more in younger people.
Dr. Lauren Juyia was feeling a little tired, but it made sense: She was a mom of two who was recently nursing her kids while continuing to work full-time as a gynecologist.
"I didn't think anything of saying, 'Oh, I think I need a tea in the afternoon,'" The 38-year-old gynecologist told Good Morning America.
But the pelvic pain, which Juyia described as a feeling of "heaviness," prompted her to prod her belly, and she noticed something that felt like a physical mass. She decided to get an ultrasound at HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital.
Despite not having any other major symptoms, Juyia was right to take every precaution: She soon discovered she had stage four colon cancer, GMA reported.
Her background in obstetrics helped her spot red flags
Juyia, who was 37 at the time, told GMA she knew from the ultrasound of her ovary that something was really wrong. Because of her work in obstetrics and pregnancy, she knew the mass on one of her ovaries was abnormally large — roughly the size of a 16-week fetus.
As she sought multiple opinions, she said she also kept track of the mass's growth: In about two weeks, it tripled in size from 8 centimeters to 24.
"I had never seen anything benign, meaning not cancer, grow that fast before," she told GMA. "So we kind of knew, deep down, that this was not going to be good."
Colon cancer is being diagnosed more in younger people
Once Juyia was formally diagnosed with colon cancer, the masses had already spread to her ovaries, uterus, omentum, appendix, and abdominal area, requiring surgery to remove them, GMA reported.
Colorectal cancer (colon and rectal cancer) is the second deadliest form of cancer — and is being diagnosed more in younger people under 50. Possible risk factors can include smoking, diet, and weight, and "pencil-shaped" stools can be a potential sign of colon obstruction.
Juyia urges younger people to get screened, even if symptoms are mild
Juyia, who is currently showing no evidence of disease after her surgeries, told GMA that it's important to get screened and that mild symptoms don't mean much.
"We might not have any symptoms because we are young, our bodies are more resilient. We can tolerate more symptoms," she said.
As a doctor herself, she said she understands the importance of taking advantage of cancer screenings. "There's a reason we want to screen you and keep you safe," she said.