Light at the End of the Tunnel
- 4-year-old Isabella Owen, to her parents shock and devastation, coughed up part of her tumor while fighting a rare type of head and neck cancer.
- After noticing their child’s sudden snoring, parents Amy and Rob Owen from Durham in England thought she might have hay fever or a cold. It was cancer in her nasal pharynx, which is called nasopharyngeal cancer.
- Exposure to the Epstein-Barr virus (EVB), which is more commonly known as the virus that causes mononucleosis or "mono," plays a role in the development of nasopharyngeal cancer.
4-year-old Isabella Owen, to her parents shock and devastation, coughed up part of her tumor while fighting a rare type of head and neck cancer.
Read More“It was like something out of a horror movie,” mom Amy told TeessideLive.
Since the tumor was in a difficult spot to operate on, Isabellah immediately underwent chemotherapy treatment and radiation, along with proton beam therapy, which is a more precise form of radiation.
The Benefits of Proton Therapy
“There was something hanging out of her nose, but still it never crossed my mind it was cancer, it’s not the first thing you think of in a young child,” Amy recalled of what they went through prior to their daughter’s diagnosis.
While Isabellah was going through treatment, she had to be put on a breathing tube at one point, since the tumor was blocking the little girl’s air, restricting her breathing.
“She has shocked everyone with what a superhero she has been,” Amy shared of her cancer warrior. “She has been amazing.”
Luckily, the family experienced light at the end of the tunnelwhich Amy described as “a living hell”when Isabellah’s doctor announced the news that there was no evidence of disease following her brave battle. In addition to celebrating such joyous news, the family is also expecting a little boy in October.
The Impact of a Childhood Cancer Diagnosis on the Whole Family
What Is Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
Nasopharyngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer.
Head and neck cancer is a broad term encompassing a number of different malignant tumors that develop in or around the throat, larynx, nose, sinuses and mouth, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Related: Hollywood Sound Designer Finds His Voice After Surviving Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer
Exposure to the Epstein-Barr virus (EVB), which is more commonly known as the virus that causes mononucleosis or "mono," plays a role in the development of nasopharyngeal cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, this type of cancer starts in the nasopharynx, the upper part of the throat behind the nose and near the base of skull. Cancer develops when the cells get out of control.
The nasopharynx is a “box-like chamber” behind the nose in the pharynx, which is in the upper part of the throat, just above the roof of the mouth. Air passes through the neasopharynx from the nose to the throat, then to the lungs.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common cancer in the nasopharynx, and probably one of the last cancers that families are looking out for. As always, pay careful attention to your child’s health and get them in to see a doctor as soon as any lingering or strange symptoms arise.
In this case, it saved Isabellah’s life. Happy healing to Isabellah and the Owen family!
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