Latest news with #brainTumor
CBS News
5 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
A misplaced MRI found a tumor on her spine. Doctors removed it through her eye in a first-of-its-kind surgery.
Karla Flores was 18 when she started experiencing double vision. She knew something was wrong but struggled to find a diagnosis. Finally, she saw an ophthalmologist who referred her to a neurosurgeon. Flores, then 19, was diagnosed with a chordoma wrapped around her brain stem. Chordomas are incredibly rare — only about 300 are diagnosed per year in the United States, according to the Cleveland Clinic — and they are slow-growing, malignant tumors. The tumor was putting pressure on multiple of Flores' cranial nerves, said Dr. Mohammed Labib, a neurosurgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center who led her treatment. Labib developed a complex surgical plan that required two surgeries to remove the tumor without damaging the delicate nerves. When Flores underwent an MRI the morning of the first surgery, the technician positioned the camera a little lower than necessary. When looking at the scans, Labib realized Flores had a second chordoma. This one was at the top of her spine, at the front of her spinal cord. It was wrapped around her spinal cord and had invaded the vertebrae in her neck, Labib said. "They told me if they hadn't seen it, I could have been paralyzed," Flores told CBS News. The two chordomas. Karla Flores was first diagnosed with a chordoma on her brain stem (the center red mass). She was then diagnosed with a second chordoma on her spinal cord (the lower red mass). University of Maryland Medical Center Despite the startling discovery, Labib decided to go ahead with the procedures to remove Flores' first chordoma. The tumor was successfully removed through a traditional neurosurgery and another procedure that went through Flores' nose. In between the procedures, Labib studied the location of the second tumor. In most cases, he would make an incision in the spine to approach the tumor from the back, but the chordoma's location meant that wasn't an option. Going through Flores' nose again wouldn't give him enough space to operate. One colleague even suggested that there was nothing they could do. "I spoke to colleagues, and one of them said 'You're not gonna cure her from this,' basically, maybe she should be more of a palliative care patient," said Labib. Palliative care refers to making a terminally ill patient comfortable for their last days. "I wasn't very enthusiastic about that," Labib added. Developing a unique surgical plan Labib continued to study Flores' scans and look for ways to reach the second chordoma. While considering approaching it through her nose, he realized the cheekbone between her nose and eye was one of the obstacles blocking him from reaching the tumor. That gave him an idea: What if he approached through the side of Flores' eye? He had done it for a surgery several years prior, but never to remove a spinal tumor. Labib spent weeks practicing the technique, which he called the "third nostril" approach, in UMMC's neurosurgery laboratory. He used cadaver heads and skull models to ensure that he could safely reach and operate on the tumor. He and other members of Flores' team spent weeks working through potential problems, including ensuring that they could create a surgical opening without damaging her eyeball and modifying surgical instruments so they would work for the procedure. An illustration of the approach to Karla Flores' chordoma. The left line shows one of the obstacles presented by a nasal approach. The right line shows the "third nostril" approach Flores' surgeons used. University of Maryland Medical Center After he was confident in the approach, Labib told Flores and her family about the plan. "Her mother cried. Karla was emotional. Her father, he's not an emotional guy, but you could see from his silence he was concerned," Labib remembered. Flores said she trusted Labib and approved the surgery. "I was scared I wasn't going to see my parents again, because you never know what's going to happen when you go inside the surgery," she admitted. In the operating room, facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Kalpesh T. Vakharia cut through the membrane that protects the eye inside the lower eyelid and removed the bottom of Flores' eye socket and a portion of her cheekbone. That allowed Labib to reach the operating site. It also left Flores with no external scars, Vakharia said. Once the bones were removed, Labib and head and neck surgeon Dr. Andrea Hebert drilled through Flores' vertebrae to reach the tumor. They dissected it carefully, following the procedure they had developed in the lab. By the time they were done, the chordoma was entirely removed, Labib said. "It was perfect," he said. Once that was done, Vakharia rebuilt Flores' eye socket with a titanium plate and rebuilt her cheek with bone from her hip. The process took about 20 hours, Labib said. "Each step is an accomplishment" The chordoma was removed, but Flores still had more treatment to come. A spinal surgeon stabilized the vertebrae that had been affected during the surgery. Six weeks later, she underwent radiation treatment to ensure there was no cancer in her body. Nearly a year after completing treatment, Flores has no evidence of cancer. The treatment was followed by rehabilitative therapy. Flores, now 20, struggles to move her left eye because of nerve damage from the chordoma, but is continuing to work on it in physical therapy. Karla Flores and her cat, Sushi, in 2025. Karla Flores Flores said that when she is feeling better, she wants to go to school to become a manicurist. She has follow-up appointments at UMMC every few months. Her biggest struggle right now is medical bills: She said she owes about $600,000. A GoFundMe has raised just a few thousand dollars. "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," Flores said in an emailed statement. Labib said he hopes the procedure can be used to help operate on other difficult-to-reach tumors. "I think this opens a new corridor for approaching tumors that are in the upper cervical (or high part of the) spine," Labib said. "I think this third nostril approach is a smaller, easier and cleaner approach, and I think it's going to really take on these difficult tumors in front of the spinal cord."
CBS News
5 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Massachusetts high school baseball player celebrates end of radiation treatment with teammates
The baseball field at North Reading High School has been getting a lot of use this season. They've made it to the playoffs after all. But their inspiration to play better and practice harder has come from a teammate who was not on the field this year. Brady Cullen is a 16-year-old sophomore at NRHS who would normally be finishing a spring season in his position on third base. Last August, he and his family got a devastating diagnosis of a brain tumor (pilocytic astrocytoma.) The non-cancerous tumor was too close to his brain stem to be operated on. After months of appointments, his medical team at Mass General Hospital recommended radiation to stop it from growing. Brady rings bell after six weeks of radiation This week, Brady finished his 30th session. Six weeks of radiation, five days a week. When Brady rang the bell in the halls of MGH he wasn't alone. "It was unbelievable. It was hard not to just break down right there in the hospital," Brady recalled. When he turned around, he found his entire baseball team lining up in the halls. Cheering him on as he left his last appointment in his months-long battle. North Reading sophomore Brady Cullen is greeted by his baseball teammates after completing treatment at Mass General Brigham. Mass General Brigham "They are my brothers and to see that combined with my family, it was so special," he said. "It just made me realize I am at peace with myself. I am at peace with my journey. I am where I want to be I am where I need to be and that will never change." Team makes trip to Boston Eric Archambault is the head coach of the North Reading High School baseball team. Coach Arch, as he's called, said it wasn't a question of whether the team would make the trip to Boston on Thursday. He said Brady never missed school and rarely missed practice or games as a team manager during his treatments. "We are seeing a kid with our very eyes attack a situation that nobody wishes for, and he takes it head on every single day," said Archambault. "Everyone wasn't supporting Brady just because of the diagnosis. We are supporting Brady because of who he is. He has touched everyone on the team throughout the years, and we look up to him." Brady said he plans to work with a physical therapist and get back out on the field. Overwhelmed and thankful for the army of support he had from his team and community. "Life is the most precious and beautiful thing, and it can be taken away so fast and I want them to realize that, embrace hardships because hardships build your character and they build who you are, and they make you stronger than ever," Brady said. "I know for damn sure I am stronger than ever from this. I am proud to say I came out on top with a whole new perspective on live and a new appreciation for it."
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Hundreds of women ready to sue over contraceptive jab linked to brain tumours - as doctor warns prescribing drug 'verges on medical negligence'
Hundreds of women in the UK are considering taking legal action over fears a contraceptive jab has put them at risk of a potentially fatal brain tumour. Every month, about 10,000 prescriptions are handed out in England for medroxyprogesterone acetate, known under the brand name Depo-Provera, NHS data shows. But a study, published last year, revealed women who had used it for more than a year were five times more likely to suffer a meningioma, a type of brain tumour. It is non-cancerous but can kill by compressing the brain and nerves if it grows too big. Last October, UK watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority called for the injection's manufacturer Pfizer to include a warning about the risk in patient information leaflets. Pfizer also wrote to NHS doctors urging them to stop women from using Depo-Provera immediately if they were diagnosed with a meningioma. The study by France's National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety analysed data on more than 18,000 women in France who'd had surgery for meningioma between 2009 and 2018. While the number who developed a tumour while using the jab was small, the risk was significantly higher than for those not on it. MailOnline reported earlier this month how an 18-year-old was advised by her gynaecologist to take the injection to avoid having her period. Jessica Blake said she has suffered 20 seizures since first taking the injection in January 2024 which she described as 'utterly terrifying'. While no doctor has been able to directly correlate Ms Blake's seizures with the medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera) injection, Ms Blake believes there 'has to be' a connection, given that she suffered from no prior medical conditions. She said: 'I've gone to A&E every time I've had these seizures and my most recent one led to me ending up in recuse. 'It's so frustrating and I feel lost. It's like a burden on my shoulder – I can't go out without worrying I'm going to have another seizure.' About 400 US women have launched a class action against Pfizer and other generic makers of the jab. They allege that the firms were aware of the link with meningioma but failed to adequately warn users of the risks. All the women developed meningiomas after using the jab for at least a year. Ahead of a court hearing on Friday in Florida, Virginia Buchanan, from US law firm Levin Papantonio, said: 'This will bring us closer to achieving justice for women who have never been warned about the increased risk of developing a brain tumour.' A UK medical legal expert, who did not want to be identified, said his firm had been approached by about 200 women who feared the jab was to blame for their meningioma or had put them at increased risk of it.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
The tragic story of how teen TikTok star Grace Phelan documented her terminal cancer as tributes pour in
The tragic story of how teen TikTok star Grace Phelan documented her terminal cancer battle has left millions heartbroken as tributes pour in. Phelan, 19, captured hearts across social media as she bravely documented her battle with a grade 4 malignant brain tumor. She shared intimate moments of her fight right up until her final days. The inspiring influencer's family announced her heartbreaking death on Friday, May 23, just one week after she posted a gut-wrenching final update about her deteriorating condition. 'Things haven't been good. My tumor grew and it's in the area where I can't breathe and it can't be operated,' she said. 'So, I just want to say thank you for all the prayers. It would take a miracle, but I'm not giving up yet. If you keep praying for me, I think that I'll make it.' 'So we're just going to hope and pray that I get better soon... so yeah, just keep me in your prayers. It will take a miracle, but thank you all.' The teenager's tragic story began last summer when she started experiencing alarming symptoms just days before she was set to begin college. Things got more concerning when she developed numbness on one side of her face and in her leg. This led to the devastating news. An MRI scan revealed a lesion on her brain, and a subsequent brain biopsy confirmed her worst fears - she had been diagnosed with a glioma, a aggressive type of brain tumor. 'I started losing my balance,' she said in one video. 'I started having vision problems in my left eye, my numbness in my face and on my leg is still here. My speech started to seem weird. My head's very foggy.' That's when the nightmare began. She announced her cancer diagnosis in a September 2024 TikTok video. 'This is definitely the hardest news I've ever received. By all means, this is not easy. Just going to trust in the Lord and try and keep pushing forward.' Throughout her heartbreaking journey, the brave teenager gave her followers a close look into her battle. She shared updates about radiation therapy and her worsening symptoms, which included breathing problems and dizziness. In her final, heart-wrenching video, Phelan spoke candidly about how the disease had destroyed her body. 'I don't see very well. I don't walk or shower alone, or eat alone,' she added 'My whole right side is numb... that's pretty much where we're at,' she continued in part. 'I'm not doing cancer pills right now, there isn't [sic] options for me.' Despite her declining health, the teenager maintained her unwavering faith and gratitude for her supporters right until the end. Her family announced her death in a message posted to her social media accounts. 'It is with great sadness to announce that our beautiful daughter, Anna Grace Phelan, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.' 'So many of you have followed her journey through a difficult battle with cancer and bore witness to her powerful testimony of faith,' the statement continued. 'Thank you for the countless thousands of prayers for healing and peace. May we all rejoice with the assurance that she is in Heaven now, and she has been healed.' Per her obituary, Phelan's funeral will be held Thursday at Galilee Christian Church in Jackson County, Georgia, with burial to follow at the church's cemetery. A GoFundMe campaign launched for Phelan after her diagnosis has raised more than $65,000. She is survived by her parents, William 'Buddy' Phelan and Nadine Phelan, her brother Harper David Phelan, and extended family.
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctors stumble on 7cm brain tumour after footy player goes in for scan following concussion
Getting knocked out during a football match has probably saved local player Mick Marrett's life - after doctors discovered a deadly 7cm brain tumour while doing scans. Marrett, senior captain of Kilmore Football Netball Club, was knocked unconscious during his side's clash with Fitzroy last week. Suffering concussion symptoms after the match, Marrett's wife took him to the hospital to get checked out. It was there that doctors found a brain tumour during a precautionary scan. If left to spread further, it could have been deadly. The father-of-two went under the knife four days later to remove the growth. Doctors were able to get rid of most of the tumour, leaving only a small section which was close to an artery. 'As most people are aware of now, Micky, our senior captain, had a CT scan following a knock from Saturday's game, and whilst everything was fine from the knock, the scan unfortunately showed Micky had a brain tumour,' the club posted on Facebook. 'He has since had surgery to remove it. All early signs are positive, but his beautiful family still needs our family with the recovery ahead.' A GoFundMe page has since been organised to help pay for Mick's medical bills. 'Hi, my name is Jayde, and I'm raising funds for my good mate Mick Marrett and his beautiful family,' the GoFundMe page says. 'Mick recently underwent brain surgery to remove a tumour — a life-changing and incredibly challenging experience. 'If you know Mick, you know he'd do anything for anyone. He's the kind of person who's always there when you need him — generous, kind-hearted, and never hesitates to help others, whether it's raising money for a cause or lending a hand in tough times. 'Now, Mick and his family need our help. Kim, Mick's wife, has taken time off work to care for him during his recovery, meaning their family is now relying solely on Mick's sick leave. 'On top of this, they're facing substantial out-of-pocket medical expenses and the ongoing pressure of covering their mortgage and supporting their three beautiful children. 'Your support will go directly towards easing the financial burden of medical bills, household expenses, and ensuring Mick can focus fully on his recovery without the weight of financial stress. 'Any contribution, big or small, will make a real difference to this wonderful family. Thank you for helping support Mick, Kim, and their kids during this tough time.'
