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International Childhood
Cancer Day: boy makes full
recovery one year after
brain-tumor discovery
(Abu Dhabi, UAE) -
Abu Dhabi Health
Services Company (SEHA),
marked International
Childhood Cancer Day, an
international day held
annually on 4 February, by
highlighting the successful
remission of a 12-year-old
boy one year after a brain
tumor was discovered.
The patient, Sultan, was
seemingly healthy until he
began to have vomiting
episodes. His mother took
him to various pediatricians
for treatment, but they were
unable to provide an
accurate diagnosis. The
youngster underwent an
investigative colonoscopy,
but the procedure provided
inconclusive results. After
complaining of a headache
and suffering convulsions,
Sultan lost consciousness
and was rushed to the
nearest hospital where
doctors carried out a CT
scan that confirmed a brain
tumor. To his parents'
shock, the boy was diagnosed
with Medulloblastoma, a
primary central nervous
system (CNS) tumor.
Sultan was immediately
referred to Tawam Hospital
where he underwent an
operation to remove the
tumor after the doctors
confirmed the diagnosis.
Following surgery, a course
of radiotherapy for a few
weeks. His family then
requested to continue
treatment at Sheikh Khalifa
Medical City (SKMC) where
the boy completed
chemotherapy last September
2021, with a check-up plan
scheduled with an MRI every
3 months. His latest MRI
showed no evidence of
disease recurrence and no
metastasis, meaning that the
cancer did not spread to a
different part of the body.
Dr. Mahmoud Ali Benour,
surgeon at Tawam Hospital,
said: “Through the
collective commitment of our
facilities, and integrated
group practice model, we
were able to ensure Sultan
received the right care at
the right time. Our
objective in participating
in International Childhood
Cancer Day is to promote the
importance of early
diagnosis in children and
adolescents. Sultan’s cancer
was diagnosed and treated in
a short span of time.
Through early detection, we
are thankful to have caught
the tumor at the stage it
was in and aggressively
treat it.”
Sultan’s
mother said: “We were
absolutely devastated when
we first heard the news.
Everything happened so fast,
with Sultan undergoing
surgery only days after we
learnt that the tumor
existed. We were still in
shock. I was overwhelmed
with the support and care
that my son and family
received at SKMC and Tawam
Hospital. I want to thank
all of the medical and
surgical teams for saving my
child’s life and for their
dedication, persistence and
optimism throughout this
journey.”
Dr.
Naser Al Zein, Division
Chief of Pediatric Oncology
and Hematology at SKMC, said:
“The most common types of
childhood cancers include
leukemias, brain cancers,
lymphomas, and solid tumors.
Childhood cancers differ
from adult cancers in
regards to their potential
to be cured. According to
the World Health
Organization (WHO) each
year, an estimated 400,000
children and adolescents of
0-19 years old develop
cancer [1]. A key player in
successfully battling the
disease is its timely
diagnosis.”
Cancers
in children can be hard to
recognize as early symptoms
can be overlooked or
attributed to much common
illnesses or injuries.
Children often get sick or
acquire bumps or bruises
that might mask the early
signs of cancer. It is
important to have your child
checked by a doctor if they
have unusual signs or
symptoms that persist, these
include:
*An unusual
lump or swelling
*Unexplained paleness and
loss of energy *Easy
bruising or bleeding *An
ongoing pain in one area of
the body *Limping
*Unexplained fever or
illness that doesn’t go away
*Frequent headaches, often
with vomiting *Sudden eye
or vision changes *Sudden
unexplained weight loss.
It is vital for parents
to seek immediate medical
advice from a doctor if they
notice any unusual signs or
symptoms since early
diagnosis facilitates better
treatment outcomes.
_____________________________________ Ref: [1]
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer-in-children
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