JJ Singleton

At just 27 years old, JJ was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer after visiting the doctor with a tumor that was already visible protruding in his abdomen. After a surgery that removed 80% of his colon and about three feet of his small intestine, JJ thought he was cancer-free. But six weeks later, the cancer was back, and he was told that it was incurable. 

Not only did doctors find that the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and abdominal wall, but they also found something else: JJ carried the gene for Lynch Syndrome, a genetic mutation that creates a predisposition to all cancers from the mouth to the rectum. This was the moment that JJ realized he would require ongoing screening for multiple cancer types for the rest of his life. 

For many, this would have been a life-ending diagnosis. But for JJ, it marked the beginning of a dedicated fight. After four failed chemotherapy treatments, JJ got approved for a clinical trial, where he would spend the next 450 days being fed from total parenteral nutrition (TPN) infusions to deal with the cancer growing around his stomach and intestines. Now on his 182^nd cancer infusion, JJ continues to fight his diagnosis to this day.

Eventually, JJ channeled his treatment journey into advocacy. During COVID, he began policy work with Fight Colorectal Cancer (CRC) and began making annual visits to DC to meet with legislators, navigating congressional appropriations processes and speaking out about rural cancer care access. He also details his fight on social media, speaks on podcasts, does interviews, and meets with pharmaceutical groups to provide patient feedback and close loopholes that reduce access to life-saving treatments.

In 2016, before his life-changing diagnosis, doctors may have missed signs of metastasis on a scan. Although the cancer had spread to his abdominal wall, his colon appeared clear. If Artificial Intelligence (AI) had been integrated into these scans, it may have detected the cancer earlier, even when it was too small for the human eye to see. These subtle changes are critical when it comes to treatment decisions and the opportunity for early intervention – which is why JJ has become a passionate advocate for access to AI in cancer screening, especially in rural care centers.

Now, JJ is joining Right Scan Right Time to champion the Health Tech Investment Act, which would expand access to AI-enabled imaging technologies, ensure patients receive timely and definitive diagnoses, and enhance patient outcomes nationwide. 

Join JJ by sending your own letter in support of this bipartisan legislation here.