A teenager has shared how he noticed the first symptom that led to his cancer diagnosis—by watching his own videos back.
Felipe, 19, from Georgia, had recently moved to college in Oregon when he decided to take part in a viral health craze on TikTok. The Coconut Cult trend involves people documenting their daily intake of probiotic yogurt on TikTok and Instagram. But what he noticed watching back his videos wasn’t digestive benefits—it was a lump forming in his neck.
“I took the daily videos after seeing the craze with Coconut Cult and wanted to see any results from its daily intake,” Felipe told Newsweek. “I noticed something was wrong after the left side of my neck appeared swollen; I saw it was curvy on the video, and then that’s when I felt the bump.”
Concerned, Felipe sought medical attention, initially receiving a suspected diagnosis of bacterial infections like strep throat or mononucleosis. But doctors recommended a biopsy to be sure.
“The ER had initially told me they suspected bacterial infections like strep throat or mononucleosis,” Felipe said. “They immediately recommended a biopsy to see what’s causing them to be inflamed.”
When that result came back, it wasn’t what anyone was expecting—Felipe was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer.
What Is Hodgkin’s Lymphoma?
“Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph glands, and if the lymph glands contain specific characteristic cells, they fall under the category of Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” Dr. Siddhartha Ganguly, section chief of hematology at Houston Methodist and an academic professor for Weill Cornell Medical College, told Newsweek. “It is relatively rare. There are only about 8,000 to 8,500 new cases across the country a year.”
Thankfully, when caught quickly, it is very treatable. “If we catch Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the early stage of the disease, then the cure rate reaches as high as 95 percent to 98 percent in young Hodgkin’s patients,” Ganguly said.
Felipe, who didn’t share his surname, posted the video that prompted him to get checked out on TikTok where it now has over 722,000 views.
Ganguly said the symptoms of Hodgkin’s lymphoma you should look out for: “If somebody has enlargement of a gland, whether they have symptoms of unintentional weight loss, night sweats or fever, and the gland is present for more than seven to 10 days, see your primary care physician,” he said.
“They may prescribe an antibiotic to make sure it’s not an infection. If it is still there after that antibiotic, make an appointment to see a hematologist who deals with lymphoma. The only way to make a diagnosis is through a biopsy.”
For Felipe, the next steps include a PET scan and chemotherapy sessions with the lymphoma medical team. He has continued to share parts of his journey on TikTok and remains positive, and is thankful for the support from viewers.
“I feel better now that I have an answer. I’m taking things day by day,” he said.
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