X Factor alum diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer at 25

Amber Woods, 25, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer after months of symptoms that were initially treated as acid reflux; she began oral chemotherapy and has tested positive for Lynch syndrome.

Amber Woods, 25, a former X Factor contestant from Dublin, California, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer after months of symptoms that were initially attributed to acid reflux. An emergency-room visit in late December 2025 led to imaging that showed disease had spread to her liver. She began oral chemotherapy in late January and is awaiting scans to determine whether the treatment is working. Genetic testing identified Lynch syndrome in Woods and a sibling, and her family has since pursued further testing. Key facts: - Amber Woods (real name Amber Fisher) experienced persistent symptoms over about eight months that were often dismissed as acid reflux before a hospital visit led to further tests. - Imaging in late December 2025 showed pancreatic cancer that had metastasized to the liver, and she was given a stage 4 diagnosis. - She started oral chemotherapy in late January; doctors expect to evaluate its effectiveness with imaging in May. - Genetic testing revealed Lynch syndrome in Woods and her brother, and the diagnosis has prompted family awareness and testing. - Woods is sharing her experience publicly and is involved with fundraising and outreach related to pancreatic cancer. Summary: Woods’s diagnosis at a young age has focused attention on her ongoing treatment, genetic findings, and public advocacy. She is currently receiving oral chemotherapy and medical teams plan to reassess response to treatment in May; if tumors shrink, surgery may be considered as a later option. The longer-term course is undetermined at this time.