New lease of life for teenager with rare form of cancer

A 14-year-old girl suffering from a rare form of cancer that left her unable to swallow food, which significantly affected her daily life and nutrition, was given a new lease of life at a city hospital here.

Doctors successfully treated the teenager's aggressive form of cancer, known as signet ring cell carcinoma, at the gastro-oesophageal (GE) junction, where the food pipe meets the stomach. Due to the severe impact of her condition on her daily life, she was brought to Manipal Hospital in Dwarka for evaluation. Diagnostic tests, including a biopsy, confirmed the presence of the rare cancer, doctors said.

According to studies under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), stomach and oesophageal cancer account for a major cancer burden worldwide; however, their occurrence in paediatric patients remains extremely rare. In younger patients, such cancers often develop without clearly identifiable lifestyle or environmental risk factors.

The teenage girl underwent five cycles of pre-surgery chemotherapy as part of her treatment process, doctors stated. Subsequently, the oncology team led by Dr Surender Kumar Dabas, Chairman - Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Centre and Onco Robotic Surgeries, Manipal Hospitals, performed a robotic surgery to remove the affected part of the stomach along with nearby lymph nodes.

The advanced procedure allowed the team to remove the tumour while preserving the surrounding vital parts.

"Cancers at the GE junction are extremely rare in pediatric patients, which makes their diagnosis more complex. If such conditions are not treated in time, they can progress rapidly and spread to nearby organs, making treatment more complicated," Dr Dabas said.