Advocating for Your Health Means Watching Out for Symptoms
- Journalist Antonia Hylton, 31, says she wants to encourage younger people to be mindful of unusual symptoms after lingering stomach issues she ignored in favor of her career, leading to an eventual cancer diagnosis.
- According to the National Cancer Institute, neuroendocrine tumors “grow from neuroendocrine cells.” These cells can be found in organs throughout the body, and they “receive and send messages through hormones to help the body function.”
- NETs are rare and not always easy to diagnose. Common symptoms may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, and chest pain. The severity of the symptoms depends mainly on the tumor’s location in the body.
- Whether you currently have active cancer or are worried that you might have it, it’s always important to advocate for your health. The earlier you can get in and receive your diagnosis, the better the prognosis.
- Advocating for your own health can lead to better patient outcomes. Sometimes, this includes going back to your doctor multiple times or seeking a second and third opinion from different doctors.
NBC correspondent Antonia Hylton, 31, wants young professionals to avoid ignoring their health. It’s a lesson she learned first-hand, which contributed to her rare cancer diagnosis.
Hylton says she had “constant stomach issues” and would find herself struggling to have a bowel movement. Despite these recurring problems, she continued to press forward, prioritizing her journalism career.
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“Something about that really stuck with me,” Hylton said.
Melvin’s brother Lawrence died of colon cancer in 2020. His story motivated Hylton to push for a colonoscopy. The experience was nerve-wracking for the young journalist.
“I was panicking,” Hylton said.
Hylton was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor, a rare type of cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute, neuroendocrine tumors “grow from neuroendocrine cells.” These cells can be found in organs throughout the body, and they “receive and send messages through hormones to help the body function.”
“I had a series of procedures to remove tissue and screening tests to see if the cancer had spread,” she said. While not disclosing her treatment, she indicated her last scans came back “clear.”
While shame can stifle the mind regarding struggles with bowel movements, Hylton took a different approach.
“Instead of being embarrassed about the bathroom symptoms…I really try to emphasize that I feel so good and so proud of myself for taking action,” she said.
Expert Advice for Advocating for Your Health
Hylton’s Family History of Cancer
In many cancer types, family history serves as a risk factor. For Hylton, her family has a history of cancer, potentially elevating her cancer risk.
“On my father’s side, (I have) the more classic colon cancer and the symptoms you typically think about. And then on my mom’s side, my grandmother…actually had a neuroendocrine tumor as well,” Hylton explained.
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Hylton says her family talks openly about their health, which helped arm her with added information about her health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that “If you have a family history of breast, ovarian, uterine or colorectal cancer, you may have a higher risk for developing these cancers.”
It’s important that you share your family’s cancer history with your doctor to know your cancer risk, which may be elevated.
Understanding Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET)
Neuroendocrine tumors (also called carcinoid tumors) are rare, affecting “4 in 100,000 adults,” the CDC says.
NET symptoms largely depend on where the tumor is located. People with a neuroendocrine tumor in the digestive tract may experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. If the neuroendocrine tumor is in the lungs, patients may have difficulty breathing, experience chest pain, wheezing, or cough up blood.
To confirm a neuroendocrine tumor diagnosis, your doctor may ask you to undergo urine or blood tests that can help check your hormone levels. CT and MRI scans can also reveal a tumor. Once a tumor is discovered, a biopsy can also confirm specific tumor details.
Treatment options may include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and surgery to remove the tumor. Somatostatin analogs can be used to mitigate hormone production and slow tumor growth.
Advocating for Your Health
Patients advocating for their health can lead to better patient outcomes. Hylton’s desire to act on her unusual symptoms and push for a colonoscopy is an example of advocating for your health.
Sometimes, people dealing with lingering symptoms may act on the anomaly, but their doctor may be dismissive. In cases such as this, seeking another medical professional to give you an opinion is especially important to avoid being misdiagnosed.
WATCH: Why a Second Opinion Matters
RELATED: Second (& Third) Opinions Matter When Deciding Between Surgery or Radiation
Regarding seeking another perspective, getting a second or third option has proven extremely helpful for cancer patients. Dr. Steven Rosenberg, the National Cancer Institute Chief of Surgery, says that not all doctors are up-to-date on or agree on treatments. Hearing from different doctors broadens your options.
“If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care,” National Cancer Institute Chief of Surgery Dr. Steven Rosenberg told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. “Because finding a doctor up to the latest information is important.”
Questions for Your Doctor
If you find yourself experiencing unusual symptoms, such as a lingering cough or a part of your body, that’s painful to touch, these are things you should bring to your doctor’s attention.
Here are some takeaways to think about when talking to your doctor.
- Are you experiencing pain or fever that won’t go away?
- Are you gaining or losing weight unexplainably?
- Have you discovered any bumps, spots on your skin, or lumps on parts of your body that cannot be explained?]
- Are you struggling to get a good night’s rest?
- Are you noticing changes in your bathroom habits, such as blood in your urine or stool?
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