When you are 23 years old and healthy, the last thing you expect to hear from your doctor is a Stage 3 cancer diagnosis. Natasha Allen went to the doctor for knee pain in November 2019. She was a basketball player and expected something related to her time on the hardwoods. What she received instead was a cold diagnosis from a doctor with a lack of empathy. The news was flatly delivered on July 20, 2020, with the doctor telling Natasha to Google “synovial sarcoma.” Natasha openly discusses her cancer journey on her TikTok channel, Possibly Natasha (possiblynatasha).
When she got home, she did receive love and support from her family. The official diagnosis was synovial sarcoma. According to the National Cancer Institute, this rare and aggressive type of cancer typically affects younger patients. Natasha has been documenting her cancer journey on TikTok. She is 27 now and four years into her treatment.
The original MRI from November 2019 had an attached note to check for synovial sarcoma. She was unable to get her biopsy until July 2020 because her orthopedic surgeon was dragging his feet. Her first oncology doctor had no experience with this type of cancer. After many fights with her insurance, she was able to transfer her treatment to the UCLA Medical Group.
Natasha Begins Cancer Treatment
Natasha began in-patient chemotherapy in September 2020. Her hair fell out after chemo and five rounds of radiation on her knee. She had more rounds of chemo in January and February 2021. By Spring of 2021, Natasha was “in remission.” She moved to New York. Follow-up scans in September 2021 revealed spots on her chest. The cancer was back, and because it had spread to her lungs, she was reclassified as Stage 4.
She participated in a clinical trial that lasted for a year. The trial appeared to be working but came with many bad side effects. The trial medications caused a rash, eventually resulting in vitiligo (loss of pigmentation or skin coloring). She entered a second clinical trial involving T-cell therapy, which only worked for a few months. Natasha’s scans in the Autumn of 2023 came back with more tumors that had moved to her lymph nodes.
After beginning another round of chemotherapy, her tumors were stable, and some were shrinking. In December 2023, Natasha landed in urgent care, struggling to breathe. One of the tumors had grown and was blocking blood and oxygen from reaching her upper body. Possibly Natasha got through more radiation treatments moving into 2024. She currently needs oxygen to supplement her breathing.
What Is Happening Now?
She has been diagnosed with pneumonitis, which is a complicated name for inflamed lungs. The rarity of this type of cancer means there is very little research and statistics available to form a prognosis. They tell Natasha she has a 15 percent chance of surviving five years. She is already four years into that journey.
Natasha isn’t accepting that. She plainly tells her viewers that she is going to be different. If you’re wondering how Possibly Natasha manages to stay positive during this cancer journey, she admits it is difficult. She credits her family and friends. She focuses on what matters to her. This young warrior is determined to live her life to the fullest.
She still enjoys movies, trivia, and basketball. She has travel plans for the next year or two. Her main focus is on what makes her happy. She will continue treatments to stretch each year as far as she can. She is documenting her cancer journey as a way of possibly helping others. With the lack of information on her type of cancer and her age, she felt alone. She hopes to connect with others on a similar journey with the possibility of developing a community online.
Possibly Natasha ends her cancer story with, “I’m here, and I am alive.” If you want to follow this positive young lady on her cancer journey, you can find her on TikTok. One thing is certain as she looks directly into the camera while telling her story — Natasha is not ready to give up, no matter how bumpy the ride gets.
Please share the story of this courageous young woman.
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