La Jollan Jessica Acosta, diagnosed at 29, is pushing for early screening for colorectal cancer, the leading killer for those under 50.
Transmuting fear into fight, La Jolla resident Jessica Acosta is using her recent battle with stage III rectal cancer to fuel advocacy for herself and others.
Acosta was diagnosed at 29 in 2024, after genetic testing indicated she has Lynch syndrome, a condition that increases the risk of colorectal and endometrial cancers, and experiencing symptoms mimicing those of IBS.
“The symptoms were so bad that I knew something was wrong,” she said.
Acosta pushed for a colonoscopy; most insurance companies pay for a colonoscopy at age 45, while those with Lynch syndrome qualify at age 30.
Acosta’s colonoscopy revealed a six-centimeter tumor.
“That was the moment that I knew self advocacy really worked, that I was the best person to advocate for my own health care,” she said.
After immunotherapy, Acosta now shows no evidence of disease and has since endeavored to raise awareness for colorectal cancer, which the American Cancer Society and a recent JAMA Network article state is now the number one cancer killer in men and women under 50.
Acosta will head to Washington, DC in March as an ambassador with Fight Colorectal Cancer to ask state and federal representatives to allocate funding for colorectal cancer screening.
Image courtesy of fightcolorectalcancer.org
“Knowing that this is targeting my generation, my friends, my family, it’s important for me to use my voice, not only for my experience, but to help other people not have that experience,” she said.
While in Washington, her photo will be featured on the National Mall alongside more than 27,000 blue flags, representing the projected number of people under 50 expected to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2030 if action is not taken.
“Those flags are there for everybody to see,” she said, “a constant reminder for that period of time that these lives exist, they are worth fighting for and [they] need to be saved.”
Colorectal cancer is “beatable and it’s treatable, but only if it’s caught early enough,” Acosta said.
The 20- and 30-year-olds Acosta speaks to have revealed a lack of information and direction.
“I’ve had so many people reach out to me and say, ‘Hey, I’m experiencing this. What do I do?’ Or ‘I asked my doctor and they said to do this, but I’m not comfortable with that,’” she said.
She advises her peers to find another doctor, “somebody that hears you,” and to persist through the exhaustion of repeating symptoms and insurance walls.
“A lot of people experience stomach issues, and while it could be IBS, we need to be taking that extra step to make sure that we’re screening to make sure that it is just IBS,” Acosta said.
Those with a family history are especially vulnerable, she added. “Knowing your body, knowing your history, all of that is your leverage to getting the care that you need.”
Family history is what led Acosta to receive genetic testing in the first place: her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at 36, leading Acosta’s gynecologist to suggest testing.
“That’s a really valuable place to start,” she said.
“Trust your gut, listen to your body, You’re the only person that has ever lived and will ever live in your body, and so you’re the best person to advocate for yourself.”
