Young adults with cancer report putting off appointments, getting dismissed by doctors

Interviews with 30 cancer patients aged 20 to 39 show that young adults often attribute physical symptoms to stress and delay seeking care, and even when they report typical warning signs, doctors often dismiss their concerns. One patient with rectal bleeding was first advised to try a gluten-free diet and was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 39; of two brain cancer patients, the 23-year-old was sent home with sleep aids, and the 27-year-old saw a doctor three or four times before getting an MRI.