Earlier this month 8-year-old Chrissy Turner of Utah was diagnosed with secretory breast carcinoma, a rare form of breast cancer. So rare in fact that the Pediatric Surgery International Journal says that it accounts for less than 1 percent of all breast cancer cases; it is a slow growing cancer, more common in younger patients- both male and female, presenting at an average age of 25, and has a favorable prognosis. It is prone to metastasis though so it’s treated quite aggressively.
According to her mother, Annette Turner, Chrissy was the one who first found the tumor.
“She came to us on a Sunday afternoon, she said, ‘Mommy I have been scared and I have this lump,'” Turner recounted to ABC News. “It had been there for a while.”
Mom Annette was in shock and rightly remarked, “No child should ever have to go through cancer,”. Sadly, prior to this diagnosis, Annette Turner was diagnosed with cervical cancer (and is a survivor) and her husband was diagnosed with non-Hodgikins lymphoma, which is being regularly monitored. “My heart and thoughts are on my daughter and having her get better,” Turner said to ABC News.
Doctors at the Primary Children’s Hospital, in Salt Lake City, say they are confident that the tumor can be removed. “It is very treatable,”said Chrissy’s physician Dr. Brian Bucher. “Chrissy will need to undergo a simple mastectomy to remove all the remaining breast tissue to prevent this cancer from coming back.”
The family is raising money to help fund Chrissy’s treatment. You can go here to help.
Editor’s note: Interestingly enough we’ve never thought of mastectomies as “simple”. Some simple research into this type of cancer seems to intimate that it is not related to hormones, which leaves environment as a potential culprit. It seems plausible that in our damage of the environment, our earth isn’t the only one paying the price- we may be as well.
Source: ABC NEWS
