Aida Burkins, a 22-year-old mother from Hemet, California, has shared her nine-month struggle to receive a diagnosis for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare form of cancer. Her health battle, which began in May 2025, involved persistent symptoms and multiple instances of feeling dismissed by healthcare providers.
Burkins' symptoms started with clogged ears following a flight, which she initially attributed to altitude changes. However, when one ear remained blocked for days and she began experiencing bleeding in her throat, she sought medical attention. An urgent care visit led to a diagnosis of altitude sickness, with the advice that she would recover within a week.
When symptoms persisted over the next two months, Burkins consulted her primary physician. She reported being told to use Flonase for a dry nose, despite the bleeding originating elsewhere. She also experienced worsening hearing and a persistent ringing in her ears, along with extreme fatigue.
Following a referral to an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist, a mass was discovered in her nasal cavity. Despite this finding, Burkins claims the doctor suggested she was too young to have cancer. Scheduling a biopsy for the mass proved difficult, with Burkins reporting months of delays and excuses from October 2025 to January 2026.
The situation escalated when Burkins developed severe neck pain and a noticeable lump. This prompted an emergency room visit, where doctors identified lumps on her skull base and lymph nodes via a CT scan. In February 2026, nine months after her initial symptoms, Burkins received her official diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
According to the Mayo Clinic, nasopharyngeal carcinoma is challenging to diagnose because the nasopharynx is difficult to examine, and early symptoms may be absent. Common symptoms can include a neck lump, nosebleeds, bloody saliva, vision problems, ear infections, facial numbness, headaches, hearing loss, nasal congestion, tinnitus, and sore throat.
Burkins began chemotherapy in March 2026. As of her update, she has undergone nine of 13 planned chemotherapy rounds and 11 of 35 radiation treatments. She reported that her prognosis is good, with treatments showing positive results and tumors shrinking. Doctors are optimistic about her achieving remission. Burkins hopes her story highlights that cancer can affect individuals of any age.