SurvivorNet

Seattle Tech Worker, 33, Discovers Food Intolerance Symptoms Are Actually Colon Cancer —

By Danielle Cinone,

5 days ago

IBS vs. Bowel Cancer

Raquel Aguilar was diagnosed with cancer after experiencing increased and abnormal bowel movements—symptoms she likened to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a debilitating condition which Kirsten Dunst once dealt with.
While the symptoms are similar, Aquilar actually had bowel cancer, which is commonly called colorectal cancer in the U.S.
IBS can lead to cramping, gas, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating.
Bowel cancer can lead to significant changes in bowel movements, changes in stool color, pain in the abdomen, and sudden weight loss.
It’s important to be vigilant about changes to your body and bring any concerning symptoms to your doctor promptly.

Raquel Aguilar was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age 33 after experiencing increased and abnormal bowel movements—symptoms she dismissed as a food intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a debilitating condition impacting the stomach and manifesting in symptoms such as diarrhea and constipation. For millions of Americans such as Aguilar and actress Kirsten Dunst these are all too common symptoms. According to the National Institutes of Health, IBS is a "group of symptoms that occur together, including repeated pain in your abdomen and changes in your bowel movements like diarrhea and constipation." However, it's not uncommon for its symptoms to become confused with symptoms of other conditions, including cancer—like the type Aguilar, known as @Raquelita_Warrior on TikTok, is battling. As for when Aguilar's symptoms began, she told

Glamour in a recent interview, her "noticeable gastrointestinal issues" started up in 2019. She explained, "I was living with a flatmate, and one day we started talking about how I was going to the bathroom all the time. I could go number two 8 to 10 times a day and never feel like I had a complete bowel movement. I told my roommate I suspected I wasn’t getting enough fibre, or perhaps I simply wasn’t eating 'healthy enough.' Maybe I had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or a gluten or dairy sensitivity. It never occurred to me that I might have cancer."

Since Aguilar didn't have health insurance at the time her symptoms arose, she didn't see a doctor until obtained good insurance while working a job in the tech industry. Two years after her symptoms started, she noticed she started going to the bathroom again and feeling discomfort during bowel movements. RELATED: Actress Kirsten Dunst’s Irritable Bowel Syndrome Led to Depression. Understanding IBS Aguilar said, "My stools were pencil-thin, sometimes orangish-red in color, and occasionally there’d be a little blood. I got abnormally full after eating. I was bloated, no matter what I ate ... I tried being dairy-free, then gluten-free. "Looking back, these were major warning signs that something was wrong, and I wouldn’t find out until later that they were classic signs of colorectal cancer." However, she didn't scheduled a physical, her first in more than 10 years, until May 2023. "I told my doctor about the digestive issues I’d been experiencing since 2019: the frequent, and sometimes painful, bowel movements, the bloody stools, the early satiety. I shared that it felt like my symptoms were getting worse, and she said I likely had anxiety, and maybe gas, and scheduled a psychiatric appointment for me," she explained. It wasn't until three weeks later that she developed an "unbearable" abdominal pain that "radiated" through her abdomen and into her lower back. https://www.tiktok.com/@raquelita_warrior/video/7257291523228863790?embed_source=121374463%2C121439635%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121351166%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%3Bnull%3Bembed_masking&refer=embed&referer_url=www.glamourmagazine.co.uk%2Farticle%2Fcolon-cancer-symptoms-signs-diagnosis&referer_video_id=7323850315969662254 After a near-fainting spell, she went to the emergency room and was given a CT scan and scheduled an abdominal ultrasound, as well as a full panel of blood work, ultimately leading her to learn she ovarian cancer on her ovaries and liver. Aguilar said, "I met with an oncologist and had a liver biopsy. That’s when they discovered that the cancer, adenocarcinoma, had originated in my bowel and metastasized, or spread, to other organs. "I was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer. I had an endoscopy and a colonoscopy so the doctors could get a better look my colorectal cancer was so large and so advanced that they had trouble getting the scope through my colon."

Helping Patients Understand Colorectal Cancer

She has since been going through chemotherapy every two weeks and changed her diet to eat more soft goods and less meat as per her Gastrointestinal specialist's advice. Although she's been told she doesn't "qualify for surgery" as the cancer has spread "deeply" thorughout her body, she often seeks new treatments and clinical trials. She told Glamour, "My chances of reaching survival two years after the diagnosis was 20%. At five years, that drops to 5%, but I’m determined to beat the odds. Throughout this entire experience, I’ve learned how to advocate for myself. After I received my diagnosis, doctors took my condition very seriously and quickly scheduled multiple procedures and appointments for me, but that wasn’t always the case. I’d been dismissed for years, and even after I started chemotherapy, I felt as though my doctor wasn’t listening to my concerns, so I found a new oncologist who has been very responsive and attentive. "I’ve learned how important it is to get a second opinion, all you need is that one doctor who is going to listen and fight for you. You might not find that person right away, but keep pressing: Getting screened could be a matter of life or death," she concluded. "If I hadn’t followed my intuition, if I skipped going to the ER that day in 2023, or stuck with doctors who said nothing was wrong, there’s a chance I wouldn’t be alive. It’s so easy to doubt yourself, especially if medical professionals are downplaying your symptoms, but if you feel like something is wrong, go with your gut. It’s usually right." https://www.tiktok.com/@raquelita_warrior/video/7324797720659545390?embed_source=121374463%2C121439635%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121351166%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%3Bnull%3Bembed_masking&refer=embed&referer_url=www.glamourmagazine.co.uk%2Farticle%2Fcolon-cancer-symptoms-signs-diagnosis&referer_video_id=7323850315969662254

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Cancer

Irritable bowel syndrome is a gastrointestinal disorder that affects your digestive system. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases says some symptoms associated with IBS include:

Abdominal pain and cramps
Bloating
Bowel movements that are harder or looser than normal
Diarrhea and constipation
Excessive gas

While IBS is an incurable condition, medications are readily available to manage conditions. However, some of these stomach-related problems and gastrointestinal problems are also shared by some common cancers. RELATED: Why a tailored approach to colon cancer treatment matters. While other types of cancer can cause similar symptoms to IBS, some common cancers include:

Colorectal cancer can have symptoms like cramps, gas, and changes in bowel habits. Liver cancer can also cause swelling or bloating in the abdomen or abdominal pain below the ribs. Ovarian cancer can cause symptoms of bloating or fullness, pain in the pelvis or abdomen, and changes in bowel habits. Stomach cancer can cause feelings of indigestion and stomach discomfort, feeling bloated, and stomach pain.

Understanding Bowel Cancer

Bowel cancer, also referred to as colorectal cancer , is the third-most common cancer affecting men and women in the United States. Many symptoms of bowel cancer are similar to those of irritable bowel syndrome, so if you notice any changes to your body or have any symptoms you are concerned about, make sure to consult with your doctor. The sneaky thing about colorectal polyps and colorectal cancer, say SurvivorNet's medical experts, is that they don't necessarily lead to symptoms, which is why screening is necessary for everyone over age 50 (and sometimes earlier), even people who feel well. When symptoms do appear, one of the most common is a change in bowel habits. This ranges from constipation or diarrhea to differences in the size or shape of bowel movements. A change in stool color, particularly black or tarry stools, can indicate bleeding from a tumor that lies deep in the colon. This is different from seeing blood in your stool due to IBS. When there is constipation with IBS, the increased strain can lead to small tears in the rectum, resulting in some bleeding. However, persistent rectal bleeding is a serious symptom, and can be an indication of colorectal cancer . Other symptoms can be harder to pinpoint as cancer, such as abdominal pain and unintentional weight loss, which is what Delilah experienced. Finally, some tumors bleed a small amount over a long period of time, resulting in anemia (a low red blood cell count) that is picked up on a blood test. Dr. Paul Oberstein , director of the Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Program at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet a few common symptoms of the disease to look out for:

Change in bowel movements sudden changes to the size, consistency or caliber of stool
Change in stool color bright red or black stool is a sign that an individual should seek medical attention
Pain in the abdomen unusual discomfort or bloating of the stomach. In the case of women, pain isn't related to the menstrual cycle.
Sudden and unexplained weight loss rapid drop in weight that isn't the result of diet or exercise
Anemia Individuals who feel a general sense of malaise or faintness, or are constantly tired or weak much more than usual, may want to consult a doctor.

Where to Turn If You Have Symptoms of IBS, But Are Unsure What's Causing It?

When you experience unusual symptoms, you should first consider talking to your doctor. However, in the case of IBS, where symptoms can be easily confused with something else, considering a second professional opinion is always helpful. When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to ensure that your questions are fully answered and that you are comfortable with the plan moving forward. From a doctor’s perspective, every problem should have a diagnosis, a treatment, a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next if the treatment doesn’t work. WATCH: Being your own advocate. "It’s important for you to actually educate yourself and be your own health care advocate," colorectal surgeon Dr. Zuri Murrell previously told SurvivorNet. “You should lead each doctor’s appointment with a plan." In addition to ensuring that you and your doctor agree about your diagnosis and potential treatment, seeking other opinions is equally important. Doctors do not always agree about whether your symptoms merit further testing and whether specific treatment methods work best for you. Dr. Steven Rosenberg , chief of surgery at the National Cancer Institute and one of America’s most renowned cancer doctors, agrees. WATCH: The value of getting a second opinion. “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 because finding a doctor who is up to the latest information is important,” Rosenberg previously told SurvivorNet. “It’s always important to get other opinions so that you can make the best decisions for yourself in consultation with your care providers,” Dr. Rosenberg continued.

Questions for Your Doctor

If you find yourself considering seeking a second or third medical opinion, here are some questions to kickstart the conversation with your doctor:

Is there any other testing available for the type of cancer I have?
Are there any other treatment options available for my type of cancer?
Why or why do you not recommend those other options?
I want to seek a second opinion on my diagnosis and treatment options. Is there another doctor or facility you recommend?
Do you want the second opinion to be sent to you?
Can I have a copy of all my records to share with this second physician?