7 days ago
Breakthroughs in cancer treatment spare Long Island teen from leg amputation
Breakthroughs in a rare cancer treatment are helping a New York woman conquer an aggressive bone tumor.
Doctors at Cohen Children's Medical Center say a state-of-the-art surgery for osteosarcoma means the Long Island college student's leg will not have to be amputated.
A devastating diagnosis
Kelly Mullooly, a University of New Haven honors college freshman and student-athlete, presumed her constant knee pain was from too many gym workouts and rigorous cheer team activities.
After the Massapequa-native started feeling it in December, doctors initially advised physical therapy. But nothing helped and she knew something wasn't right.
"It was a very overwhelming time and a very scary time," she said.
While home for spring break, Mullooly and her family insisted on more medical testing. They sought doctors at a different hospital -- Cohen Children's Medical Center.
She went there for an MRI and doctors came back with devastating news.
"That same day they found the tumor, and from there everything has just been a complete whirlwind," Mullooly said. "So fast-moving, with biopsies and doctors appointments, and within that week I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma."
"Because this is a very aggressive tumor, we have to move very quickly with chemotherapy and treatment," Dr. Carolyn Fein Levy, of Cohen Children's Medical Center, said.
Life-altering decisions and surgery
Crissy Mullooly said she was in awe of her daughter, who remained brave and stoic while having to make life-altering decisions.
"It's amazing because it's a lot to ask an 18-year-old at the time, now she's 19, to have gone through," she said.
As part of the treatment, Mullooly underwent future fertility planning in which her eggs were harvested prior to chemotherapy.
"They immediately had a plan for me and that was very comforting," she said.
"She had what is called limb-sparing surgery where we take out a piece of the bone and replace with a prostheses in order to save her leg," Levy said.
Mullooly's cancerous bone was removed and replaced with a metal knee. The surgery also saved her life.
"We want her to be able to live the rest of her life without a sarcoma, without any cancer and to be able to do everything she wants to do," Dr. Howard Goodman said.
"Not that everything will go back to normal, but everything will be a new normal," Mullooly said.
As she completes chemotherapy, she's filled with optimism and ready to rejoin UNH and the cheer team later next year.
Before limb-sparing surgery, a patient with osteosarcoma would have needed their leg amputated. They also would have continued living with the risk of the cancer returning.
