Brinlee Luster was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer at the age of 21, and there’s a theory on why her twin sister, Mariela, could have missed the same diagnosis
Brinlee Luster and her twin sister Mariela have always been inseparable. They attended the same college and studied the same subjects – they even met their husbands on the same day and got married just two months apart. But in 2023, Brinlee faced a nightmare health battle as she began experiencing some worrying symptoms including “severe abdominal cramping” and extreme fatigue.
The young woman from Utah visited the doctors, who initially dismissed the symptoms as anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome or side effects of her birth control. As she was busy planning her wedding, Brinlee also put the symptoms down to stress. However, a few months later, her symptoms intensified, and Brinlee received the shocking diagnosis of stage four colon cancer following a colonoscopy. She was just 21-years-old.
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Speaking to KSL News, Brinlee said: “I don’t think anything can prepare you for that moment when you’re told you have cancer.” She added: “As a young adult, like right at the brink of where my life was accelerating, I had to slow down and watch everyone else go forward, and that was really hard.” Her twin sister, Mariela, shared: “Having [Brinlee] go through something that I couldn’t go through, and I couldn’t experience, was just so hard.”
Meanwhile, Mariela remained fit and healthy, even after undergoing a colonoscopy to remove several polyps, which can develop into cancer due to abnormal cell growth and mutations. Mariela said: “I like to think that she really did save my life in a way because I was headed down that route.”
Data has found a surge in young people in the US who are under the age of 50 being diagnosed with colon cancer. Experts have suggested that inactive lifestyles, diet, alcohol and obesity are some contributors that could play a part, but with the twin sisters doing almost everything together, it raised the question as to why only Brinlee received the diagnosis.
Brinlee’s oncologist, Dr Mark Lewis of Intermountain Health, shared his thoughts and told KSL News: “There really is unfortunately no such thing as too young for colon cancer.” Dr Lewis suggests that antibiotics taken during childhood could play a factor in a colon cancer diagnosis.
He told the publication: “Antibiotics in childhood and in adulthood can affect the bacteria that line the colon. We’re being very, very careful about prescribing antibiotics to young people because we do know there is at least a slight increased risk for colon cancer decades later.”
In 2022, scientists from the University of Aberdeen, NHS Grampian and Queen’s University Belfast found that “antibiotic use may increase the risk of developing colon cancer, potentially more so among younger people”. The British Journal of Cancer study of almost 40,000 people compared antibiotic use and lifestyle factors of those who had colorectal cancer and those who didn’t.
Although they found no relationship with rectal cancer, antibiotic use was “found to be associated with the development of colon cancer”. The researchers also found that, “while the overall numbers remain relatively low, antibiotic use was linked with an estimated 50% higher risk of colon cancer in people aged under 50, and an estimated 9% higher risk in those 50 and over”.
Sarah Perrott, from the University of Aberdeen and co-first author of the research said at the time: “Antibiotic use is very common, and it is important to note that not everyone who uses antibiotics will get bowel cancer. However, while invaluable in medicine, antibiotics should be used appropriately and only when necessary.”
As Brinlee and Mariela shared such similar lifestyles and dietary patterns, the different use of antibiotics from when they were younger could have been a factor. Following her own diagnosis, Brinlee is now cancer-free after undergoing 30 rounds of chemotherapy and completing treatment in December. The twins are now helping to raise awareness and have created ‘The Port Studio’ which offers jumpers that help to provide easy IV access for anyone going through chemotherapy.
