Imagine being 23, fresh out of an Ivy League school, and building a dream life in New York City. You’re posting outfit transitions and dance videos, and your following is exploding. Then, out of nowhere, you feel a weird bump during a run. You think it's a hernia.
It wasn't.
Sydney Towle’s life didn't just change; it flipped upside down in a way most of us can’t fathom. She was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and incredibly aggressive bile duct cancer. If you’ve heard that name before, it’s usually in the context of people in their 60s or 70s. Sydney was 23.
The story of Sydney Towle cancer is more than just a medical file. Honestly, it’s a bizarre, sometimes cruel look at how we treat sick people in the age of TikTok. While she was fighting for her life, a corner of the internet decided she was a fraud.
The Diagnosis That Shouldn’t Have Happened
Cholangiocarcinoma is rare. In someone Sydney's age? It’s practically unheard of. Most people diagnosed with this have pre-existing liver issues or decades of wear and tear on their bodies.
Sydney didn't. She was a runner. A Dartmouth grad. Basically the picture of health.
Her symptoms started small. A protruding bump on her abdomen. A burning sensation when she tried to exercise. When she finally got an ultrasound, doctors found an 11 cm tumor in her liver. For context, that’s about the size of a grapefruit.
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Why the treatment is so intense
Because the cancer was already Stage 4 and involving lymph nodes, the medical approach had to be "kitchen sink" style.
- Liver Resection: In January 2024, she had a massive surgery to remove the main tumor and her gallbladder.
- Indefinite Chemo: Unlike some patients who "finish" a round of chemo, Sydney has spoken about being on treatment indefinitely.
- The Hepatic Pump: In mid-2025, she underwent surgery to have a pump installed that delivers chemotherapy directly to the liver. It's high-stakes stuff.
When the Internet Decided She Was Faking
You’d think a 25-year-old with Stage 4 cancer would get nothing but support. You’d be wrong.
A "snark" subreddit grew to over a thousand members dedicated to "proving" Sydney was faking her illness. They analyzed her hair (she used cold-capping to keep it). They criticized her for traveling. They even built a 28-page "evidence" document to try and "cancel" a cancer patient.
It got so bad that the New York Times eventually stepped in to verify her medical records. Her oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alfa, had to go on the record to tell the world: "She has cancer."
It’s a terrifying precedent. We’ve reached a point where if you don’t "look" like a Victorian orphan while dying, people assume you're a scammer. Sydney didn't look sick enough for them. She still wore makeup. She still smiled.
The December 2025 "Miracle" That Wasn't
One of the most heartbreaking moments in her journey happened just recently, in December 2025.
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Sydney posted a video, beaming, saying her blood test was negative for tumor DNA. Her doctor had congratulated her. The clinical trial was working.
Hours later, she had to post a retraction.
A medical record error had occurred. She had been given the results of another patient who had their blood drawn the same day. Her actual results showed her tumor markers were actually higher than before.
Can you imagine that emotional whiplash? One minute you’re celebrating a miracle, the next you’re being told it was a clerical error. She handled it with way more grace than most would, even saying she didn't blame the doctor because "people make mistakes."
Infertility and the "Hidden" Costs
Just this month, in January 2026, Sydney opened up about something she calls her "biggest regret."
When she was first diagnosed, everything moved so fast. There was no time to freeze her eggs before the chemo started. Now, at 26, she’s facing the reality of infertility.
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She recently visited a fertility specialist during a break between treatments, hoping for a glimmer of hope. The news wasn't great. There wasn't enough time to start the process without delaying her life-saving cancer trial, and the damage from previous chemo meant her egg count was likely non-existent.
"It feels like I’m being told I shouldn't be considering a future," she shared in a recent essay. It’s a side of the "cancer journey" that isn't as "viral" as a hospital vlog, but it’s the one that sticks.
How Sydney Is Changing the Conversation
Despite the hate and the medical setbacks, Sydney is still here. She’s currently participating in clinical trials and using her platform to advocate for young-onset GI cancers.
She even spoke at the ASCO GI 2026 symposium recently, giving a voice to young patients who are often ignored by a medical system designed for the elderly.
Actionable Insights for Advocacy
If you’re following Sydney’s story or going through something similar, there are real things you can do:
- Trust Your Gut: Sydney’s "hernia" was Stage 4 cancer. If a bump feels wrong, get the ultrasound. Demand the scan.
- Verify, Don't Vilify: Before joining an online "investigation" into someone’s health, remember that modern medicine (like cold-capping and targeted therapy) means patients don't always "look" like the stereotype.
- Support Rare Research: Groups like the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation are the ones funding the trials that keep people like Sydney alive.
The reality is that Sydney Towle isn't a "cancer influencer." She’s a young woman trying to survive a disease that’s trying to kill her, all while the world watches through a screen. Her story is a reminder that "strength" isn't always about winning—sometimes it’s just about staying on the treadmill when you’re exhausted.