Content creator Sidney Raz, known for his popular “Life Hacks” videos on social media, has revealed he was recently diagnosed with early-stage stomach cancer.
The 36-year-old shared the news with his followers, explaining that the diagnosis came unexpectedly—and only as a result of genetic testing following a family tragedy.
Raz, whose legal name is Sidney Raskind, said he had no symptoms of illness prior to the diagnosis.
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The cancer was discovered during an endoscopy, prompted by genetic findings tied to his late daughter.
In March, Raz announced that his daughter had died in utero at 26 weeks due to holoprosencephaly, a rare brain development disorder.
In the aftermath of the loss, Raz and his wife underwent genetic testing in an effort to understand whether any hereditary conditions may have played a role.
While doctors found no direct genetic explanation for the defect that caused their daughter’s death, they did identify a mutation in the CTNNA1 gene.
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Raz had the same mutation as his daughter—a deletion now linked in recent years to certain forms of cancer, particularly stomach cancer.
“Because of that deletion, in recent years, it has been seen to cause certain types of cancer — specifically stomach cancer,” Raz explained in an Instagram video.
This discovery led to a precautionary endoscopy, where doctors identified early-stage cancer. “I had no symptoms,” Raz said in a video update.
“It was literally just my daughter’s DNA that saved my life, and now there can be a path forward.”
Doctors have recommended a total gastrectomy—surgical removal of the stomach—to prevent the cancer from spreading. The procedure is scheduled for July.
“The doctor said today that if I hadn’t caught it this early, I would be back within three years at stage three or four cancer,” Raz said.
“So I might not have a stomach, but I’ll be here in three to four years.”
He used his TikTok platform to explain the procedure to followers.
Surgeons will connect his esophagus directly to his intestines, bypassing the stomach.
“I just have to chew a lot more, and retrain my body how to eat, so I can’t eat as much,” he said.
“It’s gonna be a big adjustment. But I don’t want cancer.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, stomach cancer often develops with few noticeable symptoms in its early stages.
Early signs, when they occur, may include indigestion or upper abdominal discomfort.
By the time more severe symptoms like vomiting blood, black stools, fatigue, or sudden weight loss appear, the disease is often at an advanced stage.
The American Cancer Society reports that new cases of stomach cancer in the U.S. have declined by approximately 1.5% annually over the last decade.
However, the condition—once largely confined to older adults—is now seeing an increase in diagnoses among younger individuals.
Risk factors include being male, obesity, a diet high in salty or smoked foods, smoking, and heavy alcohol use.
Other medical conditions like gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or a history of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection may also elevate the risk.
Raz encouraged others to pursue genetic testing, specifically for mutations in the CDH1 and CTNNA1 genes.
“Those are the two right now that we know that lead to this type of diffused gastric cancer,” he said.
The American Cancer Society estimates approximately 30,300 new stomach cancer diagnoses will occur in the United States in 2025.
Around 10,780 Americans are projected to die from the disease that year.
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