Chase Smith, the teenager with Ewing sarcoma who captured hearts across the country with his brave cancer battle and his love for his high school sweetheart, died Sunday, according to his hometown newspaper, The Indianapolis Star. He was 19.
In March 2020, doctors gave Smith just months to live. He had been fighting Ewing sarcoma for six years and had tumors in his skull, the fluid-lining of his brain, his shoulder, lung and hip. But he knew he wanted to marry his girlfriend, Sadie Mills, so they put together a wedding in four days. Chase aimed to use his cancer, and his marriage to Sadie, to spread the word of God. Chase and Sadie vowed to spend every moment they had left together.
Read MoreChase and Sadie ended up with 11 months together.
What Kind of Cancer is Sarcoma?
Sarcomas are rare among adults, accounting for 1% of cancers. In children and young adults, they are more common, accounting for 20% of pediatric cancers. Diagnosed in more than 16,000 children, women, and men each year, sarcomas claim 7,000 lives each year.
Sarcomas are cancers that arise from the cells that hold the body together. They can occur in muscles, nerves, bones, fat, tendons, cartilage, or other forms of connective tissues. There are more than 70 types of sarcoma cancers.
What is Ewing Sarcoma?
A cancer that grows in the bone or soft tissue, Ewing sarcoma can develop in the bones and other parts of the body.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 1% of all childhood cancers are Ewing tumors. About 200 children and teens are diagnosed with Ewing tumors (sarcomas) in the United States each year. Most Ewing tumors occur in adolescents, but they can also affect younger children, as well as adults (in their 20s and 30s).
Symptoms of Ewing sarcoma include bone pain, fevers with no known cause, unexplained tiredness, a bone that breaks for no known reason or a lump in the arms, legs, chest or pelvis.
Treatment for Ewing sarcoma may involve a combination of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Treatment plans are determined by the location of the cancer whether it's in the bones or soft tissues and the size of the tumor at the time of diagnosis.
A rare cancer, the 5-year survival rate for Ewing's sarcoma is around 83%, if it's caught early, in a localized stage, according to the American Cancer Society.
Sarcoma Survivor Kara Ladd found solace in Reiki, Meditation, and Energy Healing During Treatment
Contributing: Constance Costas, Alesandra Dubin
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