JJ Singleton, Research Advocate at Fight Colorectal Cancer, adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivor, shared on LinkedIn:
”Part 2 of the content I filmed for Drops is all about mental health and how important it is to be talked about and acknowledged in cancer care but also In all of healthcare. You can see the physical challenges I’ve been through with cancer but the mental ones are invisible yet they were and are the most difficult things I deal with.
Anything that can help patients and medical professionals talk about mental health and discuss lives experiences along with trusted information is a game changer and much needed.
Mental health is the biggest challenge in the cancer life that we deal with. Everybody focuses on the physical parts that you can see, but the mental health is… it about took me away quicker than it physically part did.
And then also how deep and hurtful isolation that cancer causes can be, and how it can impact your health so much.
As I’m from a southern Appalachian town grew up, as you know, that cowboy culture in men thinking i could deal with anything no matter what life threw me.
So a cancer diagnosis, I thought i could hold all the burden. So I slated myself, not wanting to bother other people, and it just made me feel more and more alone.
I was already the youngest person at my cancer center. I knew nobody else in their 20s with colorectal cancer, and over time, i just went more and more inside myself.
Rejected help from other people and that was impacting my health until i hit rock bottom and i had to get help.
And then that’s really what changed my life to be where I’m at today.”
JJ Singleton was recognized among OncoDaily’s The 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025, highlighting his contributions to the field of oncology.
Nominations for 100 Influential People in Oncology 2026 are now open, recognizing leaders, researchers, clinicians, innovators, advocates, and other individuals making a meaningful impact on oncology and cancer care.
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Other articles featuring JJ Singleton on OncoDaily.
