![\"Giahan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/68e736071892ef91fc4515494b7a42f6.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Giahan Tang before and after cancer diagnosis
Credit: Giahan Tang<\/p>\n
NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
Giahan Tang thought she was finally finding stability after college when unusual symptoms led to a shock diagnosis of stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma<\/p>\n
After an ER visit initially blamed on an ovarian cyst, further testing revealed the aggressive blood cancer, sending her into months of intensive chemotherapy<\/p>\n
Now cancer-free, Tang has shared her journey on TikTok, hoping her story encourages others to listen to their bodies and not take their health for granted<\/p>\n
Giahan Tang<\/a> finally felt like her life was coming together.<\/p>\n After graduating from Temple University in 2023, the South Philadelphia local was finding her footing in post-grad life while working her way up at a fine-dining steakhouse. She started as a hostess and, two years later, became a server \u2014 a move that finally brought some financial stability.<\/p>\n At the same time, she was trying to take better care of herself.<\/p>\n \u201cI really wanted 2025 to be my year of self-development,\u201d Tang, now 24, tells PEOPLE exclusively. \u201cBesides training to become a server, I started going to the gym regularly and eating healthier. It felt like I was building strength.\u201d<\/p>\n Giahan Tang in April 2025 But just as life seemed to be falling into place, everything changed.<\/p>\n Looking back, Tang says there were subtle signs that something wasn\u2019t right. Throughout early 2025, she kept getting sick in ways that felt unusual for her.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I had food poisoning twice,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI had vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue and fever, but I didn\u2019t think too much of it. I\u2019ve always been healthy, so I assumed it would go away.\u201d<\/p>\n Then one night, the pain felt different.<\/p>\n Tang says she developed what she thought was a stomach ache, but this time it didn\u2019t ease up. It kept her awake through the night, and by morning the pain had become unbearable.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt it laying down, sitting, walking \u2014 nothing helped,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen you pressed on it, it hurt even more. That\u2019s when I immediately knew something was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n She went to urgent care and was told to head straight to the emergency room for imaging.<\/p>\n There, Tang spent six hours in the ER, much of it on a gurney in the hallway because the hospital was crowded. The pain radiated down the left side of her abdomen, but the initial tests seemed reassuring. Her EKG and blood work came back normal, and a CT scan showed what doctors believed was an ovarian cyst.<\/p>\n \u201cI went home feeling relieved,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n The explanation seemed to make sense. A coworker had experienced similar pain from an ovarian cyst, and so had her roommate. But the relief didn\u2019t last long.<\/p>\n Soon after, Tang realized she had missed a voicemail from Penn Medicine. When she called back, a doctor told her that an attending physician reviewing her CT scan had noticed small lesions in her abdominal wall that had initially been missed \u2014 findings that could point to metastatic disease.<\/p>\n \u201cMy heart dropped,\u201d she says. \u201cThe doctor kept saying sorry, and even then I don\u2019t think I understood how bad it was.\u201d<\/p>\n In the weeks after her ER visit, as she went through various tests, Tang found herself replaying the symptoms she had brushed aside \u2014 fevers, fatigue and intense itching she had blamed on eczema. At the time, none of it had seemed serious.<\/p>\n Then, two weeks later, her phone rang again.<\/p>\n It was her nurse navigator calling with the biopsy results from her endoscopy. She asked Tang to open MyChart while they discussed the next steps. As the screen loaded, Tang froze.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember asking, \u2018Lymphoma? As in cancer?\u2019 \u201d she says. \u201cAnd she said yes.\u201d<\/p>\n Tang had stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, subtype double-expressor \u2014 a high-risk, fast-growing blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system, according to the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cShe kept talking about appointments and next steps, and I just kept saying, \u2018Okay, okay, okay,\u2019 \u201d Tang recalls. \u201cI was stunned.\u201d<\/p>\n When the call ended, the reality hit all at once.<\/p>\n \u201cThe rain was pouring outside, the sun was setting and my room was getting darker,\u201d she says. \u201cThen I just started crying. I kept saying, \u2018Cancer? How am I going to tell my family? Am I going to die?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n In the hours that followed, Tang threw herself into research, reading everything she could about her diagnosis and treatment.<\/p>\n \u201cI had already spent two weeks wondering if it was cancer,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce I knew for sure, I could start accepting it and focus on how to beat it.\u201d<\/p>\n Giahan Tang taking a selfie Telling her family, however, felt even harder.<\/p>\n \u201cI worried more about how to tell my family and friends than whether I was going to survive,\u201d she says. \u201cI had never had any major health issues before. I couldn\u2019t even fathom telling my mom her daughter had cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n She first told her brother in person so he could be there when she shared the news with their mother.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mom was so strong,\u201d Tang says. \u201cShe didn\u2019t cry. She just started asking questions and trying to understand what my treatment would look like.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the stage 4 diagnosis, doctors told Tang her cancer was treatable. When she met with her oncologist, she came prepared after hours of research.<\/p>\n \u201cShe asked me what I knew about my cancer, and I started telling her everything I had learned,\u201d Tang says. \u201cShe even asked if I worked in healthcare.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, Tang had simply spent hours reading medical articles. Her oncologist explained the diagnosis in simpler terms: a blood cancer attacking B cells in the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system.<\/p>\n Because of the aggressive subtype, Tang began an intensive treatment plan that included chemotherapy, immunotherapy and steroids every three weeks.<\/p>\n Giahan Tang in the hospital Physically, the hardest part was the weakness.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first round was awful,\u201d she says. \u201cI had the shakes, hot flashes, cold flashes \u2014 my body just didn\u2019t feel in equilibrium anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n She lost weight and struggled with severe fatigue.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t shower by myself. I couldn\u2019t cook. I had to wait until I felt stronger after each infusion just to do basic things,\u201d she says. \u201cLosing my independence was a huge struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n One moment stayed with her: sitting in a car and watching children play sports in a park.<\/p>\n \u201cI started crying because I missed that feeling,\u201d she says. \u201cBeing healthy and free. You don\u2019t realize what you take for granted until it\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n Emotionally, the lowest point came after she lost her hair.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter two rounds of chemo, I finally had what I thought of as the \u2018cancer look,\u2019 \u201d she says. \u201cI felt weak, insecure and very self-conscious.\u201d<\/p>\n She spent much of that time at home, anxious about going out alone and focused only on getting through each day.<\/p>\n What kept her going, she says, was her family.<\/p>\n Her mother attended every infusion, drove her to appointments and cooked for her throughout treatment. Friends helped with rides, meals and even shaving her head when the hair loss became overwhelming.<\/p>\n \u201cThey made this journey so much easier,\u201d Tang says. \u201cI know not everyone has that, so I\u2019m extremely grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n A turning point came after her first PET scan. Despite how weak she felt, the scan showed no detectable lymphoma.<\/p>\n \u201cMy stage 4 cancer was completely gone after just two rounds,\u201d she says. \u201cIt gave me so much hope.\u201d<\/p>\n Doctors still recommended finishing all six rounds, and Tang pushed through. By the end of treatment, another scan came back clean.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now I\u2019m cancer-free,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n During treatment, Tang also found an unexpected outlet on TikTok<\/a>. She began posting as a distraction while she was stuck in bed, and one comment from a stranger encouraged her to share her story.<\/p>\n \u201cA person told me my story mattered whether I had 40 followers or 400,000,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n She posted a slideshow about her cancer journey \u2014 and it quickly spread.<\/p>\n \u201cI was blown away,\u201d she says. \u201cBut more than anything, I was glad it reached people who understood.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, Tang says the experience changed the way she sees life.<\/p>\n \u201cBeating cancer taught me inner strength,\u201d she says. \u201cIt made me more humble, more brave and more grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n When she rang the bell marking the end of treatment, a woman she didn\u2019t know approached her and gave her a hug.<\/p>\n \u201cAll I could say was thank you,\u201d Tang says.<\/p>\n Today, she hopes others take two lessons from her story: gratitude and the importance of listening to your body.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t take your health for granted,\u201d she says. \u201cIf something feels off, get it checked. Better to be safe than sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Giahan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/44689ad7b94c785e78294df94c27725d.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Credit: Giahan Tang<\/p>\n![\"Giahan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f2f8da509f67a467bda6c3386bccfa4b.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Credit: Giahan Tang<\/p>\n![\"Giahan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/d242361e9e33d86a3b2defcd09a42b99.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Credit: Giahan Tang<\/p>\n