Finishing chemo at 25: Man hopes his cancer journey serves as warning to his peers

Most grad students are busy preparing for life beyond college, especially if that life entails a wedding just a few months after graduation.

Instead, 25-year-old Colton Reed is battling testicular cancer.

"It’s definitely been a journey,” Reed shared while undergoing his fourth round of chemotherapy at UNC Rex.

Reed first discovered a lump when he was 22.

“Me being a little stubborn, also as a guy, I kind of waited a little while and was like ‘Maybe it’s nothing,'” he said. “You never want to hear, ‘You have cancer.’”

Reed was taking classes at Liberty University at the time. He had also recently started dating his now-wife, Ellie.

A biopsy revealed he had an embryonal carcinoma. It is an aggressive form of testicular cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, embryonal carcinomas are the second-most common kind of testicular cancer, behind seminomas.

“I had some symptoms but still not as much as you would often think,” said Reed. “With different cancers it can be different, so I was glad I found the area and brought it to my doctor.”

Reed’s initial treatment appeared to be successful, but last year he found out he would need continued treatment.

The former collegiate athlete said his faith and close support from family and friends is what has kept him going.

“When you hear ‘You have cancer,’ it’s something that none of us has control over,” said Reed. “I think that was hard for me to grasp at first. I had to kind of relinquish that control to Jesus Christ and just rest in the fact that it was part of a bigger plan.”

He continued, “Especially at a time being so young and still on a college campus – I played basketball there. Being young and active, it wasn’t anything I wanted to hear. I definitely didn’t want to see it as a setback.”

This week, Reed is celebrating a major milestone in his cancer journey: the end of chemotherapy treatments.

As he looks toward his future, including his first wedding anniversary, Reed is hopeful his story can encourage other young men to take charge of their health.

“You go through it and maybe family members know you had it, but nobody really sits down or if they are diagnosed, they don’t really want to ask questions like, ‘Hey what was that like,’" said Reed.

He continued, “I know for me, especially the first time, it was very hard for me to ask for help. That’s something that this second go-round and going through the chemo that I’ve learned.”

Most types of testicular cancer have a favorable prognosis. When caught before it spreads, testicular cancer has a 99% five-year survival rate.

Common signs of testicular cancer include swelling, lumps, dull aches and pain in the groin area.