By Fritz Hofheinz, M.D.

There are many forms of cancer, each in its own way, potentially deadly. For a recent Best Doctors member, a three-year-old girl, her fight was against a rare cancer – pleuropulmonary blastoma. The young girl, who we will call Mary, heroically beat her cancer at age three – going through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and finally bone marrow transplant.

Three years later at the age of six, a follow-up scan brought the bad news of a “mass” in her chest and suspicious masses in her liver. A biopsy of the liver was read as “possible” cancer. After hearing the stomach-sinking “C” word, the young girl began to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder.

Initial plans were made for a restart of chemotherapy and another trip to the surgeon. Seeking absolute confirmation that the cancer had returned, the parents consulted Best Doctors. After pathology re-review at a world class pathology lab and a review of the films and notes by the nation’s foremost expert in pleuropulmonary blastoma, the conclusion was that “mass” in Mary’s chest was not cancer at all but was in fact benign scar tissue from her previous radiation and the liver pathology was also determined to not be cancer after all.

The courage and insistence of two parents at a difficult and critical juncture made this case happen. When the chips are down, do not hesitate to ask for help.

Photo Credit: Jan Charles Linus Ekenstam via Flickr