When Peytn Omaree-Smith first approached a medical professional about the swelling in her neck two years ago, the doctor dismissed her concerns as not “that big of a deal.”

Smith, now a junior multimedia journalism student, said while she had always had a bulge in her neck, the persistence of the knot finally drove her to an emergency room.

Within weeks of the visit – a short time into her collegiate career – Smith was diagnosed with stage three thyroid cancer.

“I didn’t realize how many functions your thyroid has—metabolism, emotions—so a lot of things in my life were imbalanced,” Smith said.

The removal of her thyroid caused Smith, who lives in Baltimore, to gain weight and left her hormones in flux, not to mention the psychological impact.

“It (the weight gain) definitely made me feel more self-conscious, especially on top of already having the scar,” said Smith. “I just felt like people were always noticing something about me.”

During the 2025-26 academic year, The Spokesman will examine the effect of cancer on the Morgan community, from the student body to faculty, staff, administrators and alumni in its “Black Health Matters: Cancer on Campus” series.

For many young adults like Smith, cancer has become a reality. Their feelings range from the fear of death to dealing with treatment and side effects like hair loss and ongoing self-image struggles caused by cancer diagnoses.

A diagnosis of cancer for a college student comes at a time when most are already worried about exams, a healthy work-life balance and prospective internships.

For Smith, there was additional financial and emotional baggage she had to carry.

“I was 18 when I got diagnosed, so I didn’t have any money, I didn’t have anything. I felt like I was kind of by myself dealing with it,” she said.

There are over 200 types of cancers, and statistics concerning young adult patients paint a disturbing picture.

Cancer rates among this age group have been rising for several decades nationwide, shifting the perspective of who faces a cancer diagnosis. 

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the types of cancers most frequently diagnosed in young adults aged 20 to 39 include breast cancer, thyroid cancer, melanoma, lymphomas and colorectal cancer—many of which are typically diagnosed in older patients.

“In general, we’re seeing that individuals are being diagnosed with cancer at a younger age,” said Dr. Shana Ntiri, associate professor of family and community medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who also oversees the Baltimore City Cancer Program.

In particular, the rate of colorectal cancer has risen among young people, said Avonne Connor, a breast cancer epidemiologist.

“When we actually looked at the raw numbers of like the incidence rates, they’re nowhere as high as they are for people over 50, but the fact that they’re coming up, they’re actually on the increase, is still alarming,” said Connor, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.  

The increasing number of cancer cases among young adults signals a major change in modern health care.

The American Institute for Cancer Research reports that since 1994, the diagnoses of colorectal cancer in 20-to 34-year-olds have risen by 51 percent, and numbers are expected to grow even further by 2030.

In a cancer trends progress report, the National Cancer Institute suggests that multiple factors contribute to the prevalence of cancer diagnoses in young adults, including smoking, obesity and environmental factors such as chemical exposure.

Dr. Alpa Patel, senior vice president of population science at the American Cancer Society, said obesity, which previously tended to affect people in their midlife, is a primary factor in the development of colorectal cancer among young people.

“What we’ve seen in the past generation is really the shift towards gaining and carrying an excess of body weight from earlier in life,” said Patel. “We know that excess body weight is a risk factor for colorectal cancer.” 

The cause of cancer in young adults is a complex mystery. Medical experts believe that some lifestyle changes could help prevent a diagnosis from happening.

“There are several things: tobacco use, alcohol use, diet, as well—wanting to limit the amount of red meat that individuals eat, as well as processed meats, and increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables that you eat,”  Ntiri said.

Cathy Hardwick, a nurse practitioner at Coppin State University’s health center, said young people have erected walls that keep them from sharing their concerns with medical providers.

“I find the barriers right now with Gen Z are transparency—being open enough to say, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on with my body,’ and then trusting the provider to do the best they can,” she said.

Hardwick said young adults don’t always feel safe because they’re not sure how medical professionals are going to respond to them.

“Sometimes they feel like they’re being judged, or they don’t feel like they’ll be taken seriously,” she added.

Smith hopes her story will be inspirational to her classmates, especially to those who may be facing a personal cancer diagnosis.

“Even though it was scary, I feel like it (cancer) made me stronger,” said Smith. “I know now that if I can get through cancer at 18, I can get through anything else life throws at me. I just want other students to know that you’re not alone. Even if it feels like it, there’s always somebody who’s going to listen and be there. And if I got through it, you can too.”

If you’d like to share a cancer-related story, whether it’s yours or that of someone who know, email us at [email protected]