Jessie Sanders said when she started experiencing debilitating abdominal pain more than five years ago, doctors blamed her symptoms on UTIs, severe cramps, hormonal changes and endometriosis.
Then, over Thanksgiving break in 2021, the San Diego State University student was plunged into a bout of pain so severe she went to the emergency room. There, doctors reportedly discovered a large mass on her right ovary — and she was rushed into emergency surgery.
“I was told, ‘This is just a large cyst,'” Sanders, 21, recalled in an Instagram post. “I thought my pain would finally go away.”
A week later, Sanders received news that uprooted her world: she had a rare and aggressive ovarian cancer and needed immediate treatment.
“I am 1 of 500 worldwide to have this cancer,” Sanders wrote. “Thanks to a close family friend, we were able to find an expert on this type of cancer and spoke with him on his recommended treatment regime.”
Sanders, who hails from the San Francisco Bay Area, said she flew home to her parents and met with an oncologist who was willing to follow the treatment plan recommended by the specialist.
According to the American Association for Cancer Research, small-cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT) — the diagnosis Sanders said she received — is a rare and highly aggressive cancer that typically occurs in youth and young women.
Sanders said she started chemotherapy shortly after her diagnosis, undergoing another operation to install a port. She said she also got an echocardiogram to observe her heart; met with a fertility specialist; and learned about the side effects she could face.
Sanders’ symptoms weren’t new. The keen soccer player reportedly started seeing an OB-GYN when she was 15, after experiencing severe period pain that sometimes left her unable to attend school or play sports — but she said she was always told it was normal period symptoms.
“I felt alone and crazy when I was in pain and told nothing was wrong with me,” Sanders admitted on Instagram.
After posting about her experience on TikTok, Sanders — who has been in remission for five months and has returned to college — discovered that other young women have reportedly had similar symptoms dismissed by doctors.
Alarmed by this, she launched an organization called Fight for Female Health, which raises money for the Small Cell Ovarian Cancer Foundation through T-shirt sales.
Sanders urges women to always trust their gut instincts — especially when it comes to their health.
“I want to start the conversation about how important female health is and all women deserve the right treatment,” Sanders explained. “You know your body better than anyone else — advocate for it!”