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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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Getting sick is a sad reality for many new college students, but while many of them manage to overcome it quickly, the same could not be said for Aaron Delgado who found himself wondering why his symptoms persisted.
Delgado, of Dallas, Texas, joined Texas Tech University in the fall of 2023, and during his first semester, he succumbed to the telltale symptoms that a lot of students know all too well. Infectious mononucleosis, otherwise known as mono or kissing disease, is spread through saliva and commonplace among teenagers and young adults.
Indeed, Delgado, 21, told Newsweek that he felt “very sick” and his initial symptoms included fatigue and night sweats.
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“I was sick for about two weeks, but certain symptoms (like the night sweats) persisted for longer and would reappear at random,” he said. “However, after a little while, I felt better and just put it off as any other sickness.”
It was in September 2023 when the mechanical engineering major (whose minors include aerospace and math) noticed a swollen lymph node in his neck. At the time, he “thought it was weird,” but tried not to think too much about it. After all, he was trying to embrace his college life and had so much else to deal with.
“I thought it would just get better with time,” he continued. “The crazy part is there weren’t really many other symptoms after initially getting sick.”
However, the situation changed when Delgado’s parents arrived to visit their son in late September. They noticed the swollen lump in his neck and suggested that he get it checked.
Infection is a common cause of swollen lymph nodes, so multiple doctors insisted Delgado had nothing to worry about, and the swelling would go down eventually.
Despite the reassurances, Delgado could not shake the illness and was sick until the summer of 2024.
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He had done numerous blood tests in the months prior, but they never showed anything irregular. When Delgado eventually returned home to Dallas, he saw another doctor about his relentless symptoms.
Finally, his concerns were addressed when a doctor took a biopsy of the lump in his neck. But when the results came back, Delgado received the “devastating” diagnosis of stage four Hodgkin lymphoma on July 9. Hodgkin lymphoma can affect the glands, tube-like vessels, lymph nodes and other organs in the body, with symptoms including fever, fatigue, night sweats, itchy skin and weight loss.
“I remember going out to eat like we always would, but this time we were all crying instead of laughing,” Delgado told Newsweek. “It was truly terrifying, and I never thought my life would be better again.
“I felt numb at first, and it took me a long time to process. It was a very depressing time for me, sometimes I didn't even understand my own feelings,” he said.
Treatment consisted of six months of an initial chemotherapy regimen, before a month of more intense chemotherapy. Delgado also underwent a bone marrow transplant to ensure long-term remission.
Is Mono Linked to Cancer?
Oncologists suggested that Delgado’s cancer could be a result of the mono he caught at college, which is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The American Cancer Society explains the EBV stays in the body forever and is considered an oncovirus, meaning it may put people at higher risk of certain types of cancer, including lymphoma and stomach cancer.
Dr. Sukhjit Takhar, the co-founder of and Chief Medical Officer of PrimaryMD, explained that EBV was the first virus to be linked to human cancer and it belongs to the same herpes virus family as that which causes chickenpox.
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“For someone diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma at 21, it's completely understandable to wonder whether mono played a role,” Takhar told Newsweek. “It may have. Studies have found that people who have had mono have about four times the risk of developing EBV-positive Hodgkin lymphoma.”
Nonetheless, despite the prevalence of mono and EBV, Takhar notes that the vast majority of people will not develop Hodgkin lymphoma. “Four times a very small risk is still a very small risk,” he said.
While EBV may be linked to cancer, that does not mean it is an inevitability. There is also no way of knowing for sure whether it caused Delgado’s cancer.
“The encouraging news is that several EBV vaccines are now being studied in clinical trials. The hope is that preventing the infection could eventually prevent some of the cancers associated with it,” Takhar continued.
What Happened Since?
Throughout treatment, Delgado said he “never felt normal” and struggled with a lack of energy.
He said: “After finishing treatment, I've gotten a lot better but still deal with brain fog and more anxiety than normal. I've always tried to stay active as much as I can though.”
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Following his shock diagnosis, Delgado has turned to social media to raise awareness for Hodgkin lymphoma and he urges others to listen to their body, regardless of their age.
“Cancer is a real and terrifying thing that we should all have knowledge of, so that if we ever do have to deal with it, we know the steps to take to get better. Doctors can only do so much, sometimes the best advocate for you is yourself,” Delgado said.
He continued: “I don't know where I'd be without my family, they gave me the foundation I needed to get through these tough times with such a positive outlook. There have been tragic moments in this journey and there were so many times where I didn't feel human. My family always gave me the support I needed and I'm grateful for that.”
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Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and Paul Donnelley.
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