Stage 4 cancer patient Natasha Allen went viral on social media after sharing a little-known but life-changing side effect of the treatment she’s been receiving.
Diagnosed in July 2020, Allen shared she has noticed her skin getting lighter after taking a certain medication.
Natasha Allen said people thought she was biracial after her skin started lightening
Highlights
- Natasha Allen shared she was losing melanin after using a cancer medication.
- People called her biracial after her skin started lightening.
- Allen is battling stage 4 cancer, and she was diagnosed in 2021.
Image credits: natashaallen
Image credits: possiblynatasha
As a 28-year-old Black woman who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, Allen, to her surprise, shared that her skin is losing melanin. Saying that this was a side effect she was not expecting, Allen added that people thought she was biracial.
In the video that has amassed more than 740,000 views, Allen said, "When you have lost so much melanin, people accuse you of being biracial." She captioned her video, “No, I am not mixed. no, I am not Latina. no, I am not Asian. I have 4 Black grandparents. Cancer medications can change your phenotype.”
Allen said her skin hypopigmentation started after she began taking a cancer medication
Image credits: natashaallen
Speaking to Newsweek, Allen said, "I was diagnosed in July 2020 and was initially in treatment for six months, from September to March. I was in remission by May 2021 but was re-diagnosed in November 2021 and have been in treatment ever since.”
She also shared that her skin hypopigmentation (discoloration) started as a minor issue in 2022 while she was undergoing a different treatment, Lenvima with Keytruda, which led to vitiligo on her hands and feet. However, in July 2024, a month after she started taking another drug named Votrient, she started losing melanin on her face.
The 28-year-old shared that coming to terms with her new appearance “has been hard”
In addition to the change in her skin pigmentation, Allen said she experienced sun sensitivity and severe rashes on her legs and arms. What’s more, the young woman shared that the medication also had a mental impact on her well-being.
"It has been hard mentally to reconcile my new appearance with the view I have of myself. It is quite dysphoric, and it was annoying too when I realized none of my concealers or foundations matched," Allen said of her lightening skin.
"I find that a lot of people don't know all the side effects of cancer, let alone what the experience is like," she said. About her social media posts, she explained, "I share my story, good or bad, to raise awareness and hopefully that will result in more funding and research."
The cancer medication Votrient affects hair color and skin pigmentation
Image credits: natashaallen
Allen shared in a previous video that she was diagnosed with stage 4 synovial sarcoma, a rare and aggressive type of soft tissue cancer that is mainly seen between the ages of 15 and 35. While cancer is challenging at stage 4, some treatments, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy can help the patients.
Votrient is another treatment used to cure the cancer. According to the National Library of Medicine, Votrient, also known as pazopanib, can affect melanin production in patients. The research states that hair color change and skin hypopigmentation are among the most common side effects of the treatment.
Online users were perplexed by Allen’s skin condition
Allen’s video quickly went viral. Stunning viewers, many users were perplexed to learn that a cancer treatment could result in such a unique effect.
In her video showing her photos from previous years and her current skin side-by-side, the difference was quite visible. One user commented, "I GASPED. Gorgeous before and now, but holy cow, I did not know that could happen.”
Other users who couldn’t believe the side effect shared: "Wow, I never knew that this kind of thing happened with cancer medication," and "I had no idea this was even possible. What a nightmare. I'm so sorry."
Online users were quick to comment on the unique side effect Allen is experiencing
