TOO YOUNG FOR COLON CANCER?
Early Intervention by PIH Health Saves the Day for 21-Year-Old Patient
PIH Health Patient Rebecca Tollison
Today, at 25, Rebecca is cancer-free and feeling great. She focuses on raising her daughter and going to school.
“Going through all my health issues really inspired me to go into healthcare so I can help others,” she said.
Four years ago, Rebecca Tollison was 21 years old, living in Inglewood, and facing a scary situation—she kept finding blood in her stool and didn’t know the cause. Since she was pregnant at the time and seemed way too young for colon cancer, her previous doctors dismissed the issue, claiming the blood was likely a result of hemorrhoids.
Yet even after Rebecca had her baby, the bleeding persisted and became worse with still no apparent cause. Her iron levels were dropping, and she felt weak and tired all the time. Things finally changed when Rebecca moved to Los Angeles in 2023 and sought care at PIH Health. Her primary care physician then referred her to PIH Health gastroenterologist Alexander Kim DO, who immediately scheduled a colonoscopy. During the procedure, Dr. Kim found and removed a very large polyp—about two inches long—that proved to be cancerous.
“Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the United States—and the sooner it’s found, the easier it is to treat,” said Dr. Kim. “Rebecca had a large polyp blocking the colon, which was causing her bleeding. Fortunately, she was able to avoid surgery and chemotherapy due to our early intervention.” Nobody is happier than Rebecca herself.
“I’m very thankful that I finally saw Dr. Kim because he was the first doctor to take my symptoms seriously,” she said. “The polyp was growing quickly, and I’m very lucky that the cancer hadn’t spread throughout my body. Six months later, I had another colonoscopy, and I was clear—the cancerous polyp had not grown back.” Today, at 25, Rebecca is cancer-free and feeling great. She focuses on raising her daughter and going to school.
“Going through all my health issues really inspired me to go into healthcare so I can help others,” she said. “I’ve already graduated with a medical assisting certificate, and now I’m taking online classes to become a registered nurse. I’d love to work in the field someday.”
To find a PIH Health gastroenterologist or learn more about preventing colon cancer, visit PIHHealth.org/Colon
