A California man’s cancer diagnosis has sent shockwaves online after he revealed that his initial symptoms were dismissed by a doctor, highlighting the importance of listening to your body.
Mark Sevillano Jr., 41, of Santa Fe Springs, California, had been turning his life around following a turbulent few years. After divorcing in 2021 and earning his teaching degree while parenting two young children, he entered 2024 committed to getting healthier, hitting the gym several times a week and adopting better eating habits.
But just as things seemed to be settling into a positive routine, Sevillano noticed something troubling: he had growing difficulty swallowing food comfortably. “I felt better, and just when I started feeling better, I couldn’t really swallow my food comfortably,” he shared with TODAY.
For a while, he managed by drinking extra water or lightly pounding his chest to help food go down, chalking any weight loss up to his changing lifestyle.
Concerned, he scheduled a doctor’s appointment. But the physician downplayed his symptoms, pointing out Sevillano’s relatively young age and lack of family history of esophageal problems. The doctor reluctantly ordered a swallow test but didn’t express real urgency.
However, before the test could be conducted, Sevillano’s symptoms became so severe he ended up in the emergency room. There, labs and scans revealed a mass in his lower esophagus.
By that point, inflammation made it difficult to conclusively determine cancer, but a subsequent biopsy confirmed Stage 2 esophageal cancer.
“The word esophagus was not even on my radar,” Sevillano admitted, emphasizing how unlikely he had thought such a diagnosis would be. He soon faced life-threatening complications from sepsis as his condition deteriorated.
Doctors immediately launched aggressive treatment. He endured four rounds of chemotherapy aimed at shrinking the tumor, which took a heavy toll – leaving him exhausted, battling neuropathy, and vomiting dark substances – before they could operate.
In October, surgeons successfully removed six inches of his esophagus, replacing it with a segment of his upper intestine, and also removed a strawberry-sized tumor. Multiple rounds of chemotherapy followed.
Today, Sevillano celebrates being six months cancer-free, with regular scans scheduled for the next five years to monitor his health.
His story highligted the rising incidence of gastrointestinal cancers (like esophageal cancer) in adults under 50. A growing body of research attributes the rise to lifestyle trends including poor diet, obesity, smoking, and alcohol use, per The Times of India
Sevillano now urges everyone to be their own best advocate. “Don’t wait like I did,” he warns. “If something is wrong with your body, do not ignore it - act on it right away.”