Liliana “Lili” Castaneda thought she was experiencing her first period at the age of 14, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, she was excited, but her monthly bleeding soon turned into daily bleeding. The flow became so heavy that she would soak through pads in just 15 minutes and feel dizzy when standing up. When she first visited her doctor, she was told it was likely stress related to the pandemic. Teen’s Heavy Bleeding Dismissed As Pandemic StressLili, who is now 19, sensed something more serious was going on. A month before her 15th birthday, after insisting on further evaluation, she was diagnosed with a rare vaginal cancer known as clear cell carcinoma, a type of cancer usually seen in postmenopausal women, according to her physician, Dr. Dario Roque.Dario Roque, MD, a gynecologic oncologist at the Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine, said in a statement that in his 15 years of practice, Liliana was the youngest patient he had ever seen with clear cell carcinoma, a disease he typically treats in women in their sixties.ALSO READ: Ozempic Pill vs Injection: New Study Finds Oral Tablets May Be More EffectiveHer radiation oncologist, Jonathan Strauss, MD, explained that the tumour was roughly the size of a golf ball when it was found. “It was too large to remove surgically at the time of diagnosis, so we relied on both external and internal radiation to shrink it. Eliminating the tumour required extensive radiation along with chemotherapy,” he said.What Is Clear Cell Carcinoma?Clear cell carcinoma is a type of cancer where the affected cells appear pale or “clear” under a microscope, often due to glycogen and lipid content. While the most common form, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), affects the kidneys in adults, clear cell carcinoma can also develop in other parts of the body, including female reproductive organs.ALSO READ: 'Nightmare Bacteria' Cases Increase By Nearly 70%, CDC Report Reveals: What Is It And How To Recognize It's First Signs Symptoms may include pain, blood in the urine, unexplained weight loss, or a lump in the affected area, though sometimes the cancer is discovered incidentally during imaging for unrelated issues. Diagnosis is typically confirmed with imaging scans and a biopsy. The National Cancer Institute describes it as “a rare type of cancer in which the cells look clear when viewed under a microscope.”Clear Cell Carcinoma SymptomsEarly stages of clear cell renal cell carcinoma often produce no noticeable signs. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include:Blood in the urine (hematuria)Persistent fatigueFeverA lump on the affected kidneyPain in the side or flankUnexplained weight lossWhat Causes Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma?Most kidney cancers, including ccRCC, develop without a clear cause. Certain factors, however, may increase risk, such as:Tobacco use, including smoking and vapingBeing overweight or having a BMI over 25High blood pressureChronic kidney disease requiring dialysisExposure to workplace toxins like trichloroethyleneLong-term use of pain relievers such as acetaminophen.Regardless of the symptoms, it’s crucial to consult a doctor promptly if anything unusual arises.