Azucena Reyes Diagnosed With Stage 3B Colon Cancer at Age 32

Azucena Reyes was diagnosed with stage 3B colon cancer at age 32 after doctors dismissed her persistent symptoms as being too young for the disease. As early onset colorectal cancer rises fastest among Hispanic and Latino adults, health experts stress that warning signs require diagnostic testing regardless of age.

Dismissed Symptoms and a Shocking Stage 3B Diagnosis at Age 32

In August 2015, Azucena Reyes dropped her youngest son off for his first day of pre-K while enduring intense nausea that had persisted for months. By the next day, sharp stomach pain sent her straight to the hospital, where she discovered a tumor that she initially mistook for a burst ovary. Instead of receiving immediate cancer care, she spent the next three months navigating tumor removal while medical professionals repeatedly assured her that she was far too young for malignancy.

They told me, You have a very, very slight chance, or no chance at all, of having cancer. You’re only 32. It happens to people who are African American and older in their 60s, Reyes recalled of her initial medical encounters. Two months later, in October, the tumor returned, yielding a formal diagnosis of stage 3B colon cancer. When she questioned her care team about her age and racial background defying typical risk profiles, doctors told her they didn’t have an answer.

Shifting Screening Guidelines and the Rise Among Young Adults

Reyes’s experience underscores a broader, systemic blind spot regarding early-onset colorectal cancer. While rates of the disease are climbing among adults younger than 50 across every racial and ethnic category, epidemiological data shows rates are rising fastest among Hispanic and Latino people in the United States. Medical understanding of these shifting demographics has evolved significantly since her 2015 diagnosis.

In 2018, the American Cancer Society altered its benchmark guidelines to recommend starting routine screening at age 45 rather than 50, a standard the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) adopted in its 2021 guidelines. Despite these adjusted thresholds, most testing in people under 45 occurs in direct response to symptoms, according to Richard Wender, MD, Medical Advisor at the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.

Warning Signs That Demand Medical Evaluation Regardless of Age

Medical experts emphasize that warning signs require diagnostic workups regardless of patient age. Wender noted that individuals experiencing red-flag gastrointestinal symptoms should reach out to their doctor no matter their age.

Blood in the stool or rectal bleeding
Persistent changes in bowel habits, such as new diarrhea, new constipation, thin stools, or trouble emptying completely
Persistent abdominal pain, cramping, or bloating
Unexplained anemia
Unintentional weight loss accompanied by weakness and fatigue

Additionally, individuals under 45 without active symptoms may still require screening if they carry known genetic mutations like Lynch syndrome or Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, possess a strong family history of polyps or colorectal cancer at a young age, or live with inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

Navigating Insurance Hurdles and Non-Colonoscopy Testing Options

Because health insurance typically declines to cover screening colonoscopies for asymptomatic patients under the age of 45 who lack high-risk markers, financial barriers remain substantial. To bypass these roadblocks, Wender advises patients wanting screening to ask their physicians about non-colonoscopy screening alternatives.

Testing Method	Category
FIT-DNA	Cologuard
FIT-RNA	Colosense
Fecal immunochemical testing	FIT stool test

Utilizing these stool-based assessments helps reserve invasive colonoscopies specifically for patients who return a positive initial result.

The Long-Term Physical Toll of Aggressive Treatment

While Reyes’s GI team initially suggested she would only need a couple of rounds of chemotherapy, her oncologist ultimately pushed forward with 12 rigorous rounds. The treatment altered her body dramatically. She transitioned from roughly 120 pounds prior to treatment to nearly 250 pounds afterward, while experiencing severe neuropathy that left her feet numb and made walking difficult.

Azucena Reyes Diagnosed With Stage 3B Colon Cancer at Age 32 — Photo: Healthline

Extensive physical therapy helped her regain mobility, and she gradually shed the weight gained during therapy over subsequent years. However, the internal toll remains permanent. Digestive complications never fully resolved, leaving her with food intolerances and chronic bowel issues that require her to plan her outings around accessible restrooms.