Published Jun 5, 2025

19-Year-Old’s Double Vision Turned Out To Be a Rare Brain Tumor. Now She Has ‘No Evidence Of Cancer’ After Unprecedented Surgery

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Understanding Brain Tumors

Karla Flores, of Rosedale, Maryland, was 19 years old when she was diagnosed with a rare type of cancerous brain tumor called a chordoma, which was wrapped around her spine and spinal cord. Leading up to her diagnosis, she experienced months of double vision and didn’t understand what was causing it.
Now, after a first-of-its-kind surgery and radiation treatment, she has no evidence of cancer and is going through rehabilitation therapy.
According to MedlinePlus, a chordoma is an uncommon type of malignant tumor that can develop at any point along the spine, from the skull base to the tailbone. These tumors often grow slowly, progressively invading nearby bone and soft tissues. Despite treatment, chordomas frequently return, and in roughly 40% of cases, they spread to various parts of the body, including the lungs.
Brain tumors account for 85-90% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
When it comes to your health, be a little pushy. You know your body better than anyone else. When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to ensure that your question is fully answered and that you are comfortable with the plan moving forward. From a doctor’s perspective, every problem should have a diagnosis, a treatment, a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next if the treatment doesn’t work.

Karla Flores, of Rosedale, Maryland, initially struggled to understand why she was experiencing sudden double vision at age 18, but a trip to her ophthalmologist led her to a neurosurgeon—and a rare brain tumor diagnosis about a year later.

Flores was told she had a rare type of cancerous tumor called a chordoma, which was wrapped around her spine and spinal cord. According to MedlinePlus, a chordoma can “occur anywhere along the spine, from the base of the skull to the tailbone.” Additionally, “Chordomas grow slowly, gradually extending into the bone and soft tissue around them. They often recur after treatment, and in about 40 percent of cases, the cancer spreads (metastasizes) to other areas of the body, such as the lungs.”

The now-19-year-old has since undergone an unprecedented surgery, which removed the tumor through her eye socket, by a team guided by a University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) neurosurgeon.

According to the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the surgery was “the first time it has ever been used to remove a spinal tumor.”

Mohamed A.M. Labib, MD, a neurosurgeon and Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), explained to UMMC Media Relations, “The tumor was wrapped around the patient’s spine and spinal cord and had invaded the vertebrae in her neck, just below the base of the skull.”

“By going through the bottom of the eye socket, we were able to remove a tumor that otherwise would have been very difficult and very risky to address. We also avoided disturbing or damaging key structures such as the eustachian tube, major blood vessels such as the jugular vein and internal carotid artery, and nerves that control swallowing and speech.”

Dr. Labib, who noted that performing the surgery from the back could have posed a risk to Flores’ spinal cord, continued, “We created a huge surgical corridor that enabled us to get in front of the spinal cord. It was a straight shot.”

UMMC explains further, “In addition to the spinal tumor, she also had a very large chordoma that was wrapped around her brain stem, a critical structure which controls many vital functions.

“In two separate procedures, UMMC surgeons removed part of the tumor by opening her skull in a traditional craniotomy and then took out the rest by accessing the area through her nose. Both the transorbital and endonasal procedures involved the use of an endoscope, a thin, lighted tube with a camera at the end.”

Now, Flores, who had her eye socket rebuilt with a titanium plate and her cheek restructured with bone from her hip, continues to have “no evidence of cancer” and maintains optimism.

Flores, who also underwent radiation treatment to make sure her cancer was gone and surgery to stabilize her vertebrae, stated on a May 2025 update on a GoFundMe set up to raise funds for her medical bills, “Battling cancer was the toughest fight of my life, but I’m winning!

“Now, I’m dreaming of a fresh start at nail school, a chance to bring beauty and joy to others. But, I’m facing a mountain of debt from my treatment – $600,000.”

Recounting how she first felt when her eyesight issues arose, she said, “For a while, I didn’t know what was happening to my health. It felt like no one understood or even believed that there was a physical reason for my symptoms. Then I saw my ophthalmologist, who gave me hope because she thought something was wrong. She referred me to Dr. Labib.

“I was so relieved when I met Dr. Labib and the team at the University of Maryland Medical Center. They listened and took me seriously. Learning about the spinal and brain tumors was terrifying, but I am so grateful that the doctors were able to remove them. I’m slowly recovering and with any problem I have, they help me.”

She concluded, “I keep reminding myself to take one day at a time and know that each step is an accomplishment. I’m also glad I stood my ground and kept looking for help until I found it. Things could have gone horribly wrong if I didn’t believe in myself.”

Understanding Brain Tumors & Treatment Options For Brain Cancer

Brain tumors can impact a person’s brain function and overall health — but how much depends on their size, type, and location within the brain. Tumors that grow big enough and disrupt normal central nervous system functioning can press on nearby nerves, blood vessels, or other tissues. The disrupted central nervous system can present in various ways, making walking or maintaining balance difficult.

Brain tumors may be benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous). There are various types of brain tumors, with gliomas being the most common cancerous type of aggressive primary brain tumors.

What is a Glioma: Understanding Types & Standard of Care

Treatment options for brain cancer depend on a variety of factors, including the size and type of the tumor as well as the grade of the tumor.

Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are options doctors use to treat brain tumors. Cancer warriors are encouraged to talk to their doctor about their situation and the best treatment options.

The prognosis for brain cancer, or how likely it is to be cured, depends on a few things:

The type of brain tumor
How fast the brain tumor is growing
The tumor’s location
If there are DNA changes in the cells of the brain tumor
If the entire tumor can be removed with surgery
A patient’s overall health

Types of Cancerous and Non-Cancerous Brain Tumors

A brain tumor can affect you differently depending on its location and if it is cancerous. Some brain tumors are non-cancerous (or benign). According to the National Cancer Institute, some examples of these types of brain tumors include:

Chordomas, the type Flores was diagnosed with, are primarily benign and slow-growing and are often found near the tailbone or where the spine meets the skull.
Craniopharyngiomas are rare, slow-growing tumors that don’t spread to other parts of the brain or body. They form near the pituitary gland near the base of the brain.
Gangliocytomas are rare tumors of the central nervous system that tend to form on the temporal lobe (the left or right side of the brain).
Glomus jugulare are rare and slow-growing tumors.
Meningiomas are rare brain tumors that usually form on the outer layer of tissue that covers the brain (dura mater).
Pineocytomas are rare and slow-growing tumors located in the pineal gland near the middle of the brain.
Pituitary adenomas are slow-growing brain tumors of the anterior pituitary located in the lower part of the brain.
Schwannomas are rare tumors that grow on the cells that protect nerve cells. They are called Schwann cells.
Acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannoma) are slow-growing tumors that develop from the nerves that help balance and hearing.

Other brain tumors are malignant or cancerous. These kinds of tumors include:

Gliomas are the most common form of cancerous and aggressive primary brain tumors.
Astrocytoma (glioma) forms in astrocytes (star-shaped cells). These tumors are classified into four grades depending on how aggressive or fast they grow and impact brain tissue.
Ependymomas are tumors classified into three grades depending on how aggressive or fast they grow.
Oligodendroglioma tumors are classified into grades depending on their growth speed. Grade 2 oligodendroglioma tumors are slow-growing and can invade nearby tissue, but they may not present symptoms for many years before detection. Meanwhile, grade 3 oligodendroglioma tumors proliferate.
Medulloblastoma tumors are classified into four different grades depending on their aggressive nature or how quickly they grow.
Glioblastoma, which is considered a central nervous system (CNS) tumor, is the most common and aggressive brain tumor in adults.

Better Understanding Chordomas

According to Medline Plus, a chordoma is an uncommon type of malignant tumor that can develop at any point along the spine, from the skull base to the tailbone. These tumors often grow slowly, progressively invading nearby bone and soft tissues.

Despite treatment, chordomas frequently return, and in roughly 40% of cases, they spread to various parts of the body, including the lungs.

“Approximately half of all chordomas occur at the base of the spine (sacrum), about one-third occur in the base of the skull (occiput), and the rest occur in the cervical (neck), thoracic (upper back), or lumbar (lower back) vertebrae of the spine,” MedlinePlus explains.

“As the chordoma grows, it puts pressure on the adjacent areas of the brain or spinal cord, leading to the signs and symptoms of the disorder. A chordoma anywhere along the spine may cause pain, weakness, or numbness in the back, arms, or legs.”

Additionally, a chordoma located at the base of the skull (occipital chordoma) may cause double vision and headaches. When this tumor arises in the tailbone (coccygeal chordoma), a large lump may be felt through the skin, and the patient may experience bladder or bowel issues.

Chordomas also often are diagnosed in people ranging between 40 and 70 years old, and 5% of those diagnosed are children.

Pushing For A Correct Diagnosis

When it comes to your health, be a little pushy. You know your body better than anyone else. When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to ensure that your question is fully answered and that you are comfortable with the plan moving forward. From a doctor’s perspective, every problem should have a diagnosis, a treatment, a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next if the treatment doesn’t work.

As a patient, if you don’t feel like these four things have been accomplished, just ask! Even if it requires multiple visits or seeing additional providers for a second opinion, always be your own advocate.

Dr. Zuri Murrell, director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet that healthcare guidelines are meant to do the right thing for the largest number of people while using the fewest resources.

“The truth is you have to be in tune with your body, and you realize that you are not the statistic,” he said.

Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate. Don’t Settle

Dr. Murrell says not every patient will “fit into” the mold, so “educate yourself and be your own health care advocate.”

“Every appointment you leave as a patient, there should be a plan for what the doc is going to do for you, and if that doesn’t work, what the next plan is,” Dr. Murrell said. “And I think that that’s totally fair. And me as a health professional, that’s what I do for all of my patients.”

Avoiding Provider Bias – Is Your Doctor Understanding You?

While your doctor has undergone years of training and practice, they are still human and may have biases that can impact how they treat patients.

To combat these biases and really get the most out of your interactions with your doctor, you should provide her or him with plenty of information about your life and ask plenty of questions when things aren’t clear. We previously spoke with Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, to better understand how you should approach conversations with your doctor.

According to Dr. Chase, physicians, like many of us, can be slightly biased when seeing patients. She clarified that these biases are rarely sinister but somewhat unconscious and more subtle.

She explained, “We have certain beliefs that we don’t know about. We might look, for example, at an older woman, and just by the way she looks, we might make certain assumptions, and we might not even know that we’re making these assumptions.”

Let’s Talk About Provider Bias

Dr. Chase noted that clearing up misconceptions is important, but so is understanding what your doctor is telling you. She advises women to speak up and ask questions when they don’t understand something.

“It’s never a bad thing to ask for something to be repeated or to ask the doctors to explain it in different terms.”

So, next time you go to your physician, speak up if you need clarification so your doctor can understand you and you can understand them.

Leading Experts Urge Us to Be Proactive

“If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care,” National Cancer Institute Chief of Surgery Steven Rosenberg told us in a previous interview, “because finding a doctor who is up to the latest of information is important.”

As we highlight in several areas of SurvivorNet, highly respected doctors sometimes disagree on the right course of treatment, and advances in genetics and immunotherapy are creating new options. Also, in some instances, the specific course of treatment is not clear-cut. That’s even more why understanding your disease’s potential approaches is crucial.

At the National Cancer Institute, a patient referral service will “guide patients to the right group depending on their disease state so that they can gain access to these new experimental treatments,” Rosenberg says.

Cancer Research Legend Urges Patients to Get Multiple Opinions

Furthermore, getting another opinion may also help you avoid doctor biases. For example, some surgeons own radiation treatment centers. “So there may be a conflict of interest if you present to a surgeon recommending radiation because there is some ownership of that type of facility,” Dr. Jim Hu, director of robotic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet.

Other reasons to get a second opinion include:

To see a doctor who has more experience treating your type of cancer
You have a rare type of cancer
There are several ways to treat your cancer
You feel like your doctor isn’t listening to you or isn’t giving you sound advice
You have trouble understanding your doctor
You don’t like the treatment your doctor is recommending, or you’re worried about its possible side effects.
Your insurance company wants you to get another medical opinion
Your cancer isn’t improving on your current treatment

The bottom line is that being proactive about your health could be a matter of life or death. Learn as much as you can from as many experts as you can so that you know that you did your best to take control of your health.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

Danielle Cinone is a writer at SurvivorNet. Read More