**Diagnosed with Cancer at 23, She's Had People 'Question' If She's Telling the Truth. How She's Changing Their Minds (Exclusive)**
By Jordan Greene Published on May 2, 2025 04:30AM EDT
Sydney Towle had never experienced any major health issues. Then in May 2023, while out for a run, the New Hampshire native noticed something strange: a large bump protruding from her abdomen. Out of caution, she visited an urgent care clinic. Later, she was diagnosed with bile duct cancer. Since then, she's opened up about her cancer journey on social media.
Sydney Towle had never experienced any major health issues, aside from a bout with kidney stones. As she puts it, she was in “perfect health.” The recent Dartmouth graduate had just moved to Los Angeles, was running regularly and had earned her yoga certification.
But in May 2023, while out for a run, the New Hampshire native noticed something strange: a large bump protruding from her abdomen. She didn’t feel any other symptoms at the time, so when she got home, she did what many people would — she Googled it. Her search suggested it might be an exercise-induced hernia, so she began exploring treatment options.
Soon after, things took a turn. Towle, only 23 at the time, began feeling a burning sensation in her stomach, even during light activity.
“It got to the point where I couldn’t even go on walks anymore,” the 25-year-old tells PEOPLE exclusively over the phone.
Out of caution, she visited an urgent care clinic. The doctor agreed it could be a hernia but ordered an ultrasound to be safe. The results showed a solid mass — something much more serious.
Towle was quickly referred for an MRI, which revealed multiple masses in her liver and bile duct, one of them significantly large.
“They were like, ‘Yeah, this is cancerous. We don’t know what type yet, so you’re going to need a biopsy and a lot more testing,’ ” she recalls.
After further evaluation, she was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, a rare and aggressive cancer that typically affects adults over the age of 50. According to the Mayo Clinic, the disease begins in the slender tubes that carry digestive bile and is associated with symptoms like abdominal pain, fatigue, fever and night sweats.
“I don’t fit any of the demographic factors,” Towle says. “It’s usually found in people with other health issues, or older individuals with a history of hepatitis. That’s why my oncologist is repeating tests and doing another biopsy — just to make absolutely sure. It’s extremely rare in someone my age.”
Still, despite the shock, Towle says she wasn’t entirely surprised.
“I almost had an idea it was cancer,” she says. “We all know our bodies pretty well. And when this started happening, I just had a feeling. When I went in for the ultrasound and they found the solid mass, I told myself, ‘Honestly, yeah, I’m just going to have to accept that this is probably cancer.’ So when they actually said it, I wasn’t really shocked.”
That same day, Towle tells PEOPLE she posted a video on TikTok documenting the moment she received the diagnosis. “I post everything anyway,” she says. “I told people, ‘This is going to be a really big part of my life.’ ”
https://peopleDOTcom/diagnosed-with-rare-cancer-at-23-shes-proving-cancer-doesnt-always-look-way-you-expect-exclusive-11725743
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