Michael Strahan’s daughter has revealed she is battling a brain cancer that usually affects young children.
Medulloblastomas are malignant tumors that form in the cerebrospinal fluid, the protective covering of the brain and spinal column, in the area that controls movement and coordination.
Although relatively rare (affecting about 500 American patients each year), they are the most common form of brain cancer in children.
At 19, Isabella is one of fewer than one in 100,000 adults to be diagnosed with the condition, as the condition arises from cells that occur in higher concentrations in children under 10.
However, she was diagnosed with a variant known as WNT, which has a survival rate of more than 90 percent.
Isabella Strahan, 19, revealed on Good Morning America that she was battling medulloblastoma
Medulloblastoma is a form of brain cancer that starts in the cerebellum, which is located at the back of the brain and controls movement and coordination. It accounts for 350 to 500 cases per year, but is the most common form of brain cancer in children
Although the survival rate is good if caught early, the tumor grows quickly and symptoms can appear suddenly.
Isabella revealed she suffered from ‘excruciating headaches’ and had difficulty walking straight. After just a few weeks, she started vomiting blood.
Her treatment included emergency surgery, followed by an emerging form of radiation known as proton radiation, which targets tumors more directly and reduces damage to surrounding tissues.
However, proton radiation is not yet widely available and it is unclear what long-term effects it may have.
In the short term, this can lead to redness, irritation, swelling, dryness and blistering.
Isabella underwent emergency surgery the day before her 19th birthday to remove a 4cm tumor at the back of her brain
She will also start chemotherapy in February.
Starting last fall, Isabella started suffering from headaches and nausea. She also had difficulty walking.
She told Good Morning America that she initially mistook the signals for dizziness, but on October 25 she started vomiting blood.
After having an MRI scan, the doctor called and told Isabella to go to the hospital “right now.”
The scan showed a four-centimetre tumor – about the size of a golf ball – near the cerebellum, which is located at the back of the brain and controls movement and balance.
The cancer cells tend to spread through cerebrospinal fluid, which protects the brain and spinal cord from impurities such as infections.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), medulloblastoma is considered an embryonic neuroepithelial tumor, meaning it arises from cells left behind after birth.
Medulloblastoma is the most common type of solid tumor in children and accounts for approximately 25 percent of all childhood cancers.
Strahan explained that his daughter began experiencing headaches that kept getting worse, prompting them to seek professional help from doctors
After the operation, Isabella underwent a ‘grueling month of rehabilitation’, followed by several radiation treatments, before she was finally allowed to sound the alarm to signal the end of her treatment.
However, according to the Medulloblastoma Resource Network, it is still rare, with only 350 to 500 cases per year. Most of these occur in children, with 75 percent occurring in children under 10 years of age.
The cancer is more common in men than women, although researchers aren’t sure why, and in people with pale skin.
In adults, the condition is much rarer, occurring in only 0.05 per 100,000 people. This is approximately 140 cases per year.
The NCI estimates that approximately 3,800 patients in the US are living with medulloblastoma.
According to the Mayo Clinic, medulloblastoma may be more common in patients with a family history of conditions such as Gorlin syndrome and Turcot syndrome, both of which increase the risk of cancer.
As the tumor grows, it creates pressure in the brain. This results in symptoms such as dizziness, double vision, headache, nausea, fatigue and vomiting.
Because the tumor originates in the cerebellum, which controls movement, pressing on that area can lead to coordination problems.
According to the NCI, medulloblastoma is divided into four subgroups: WNT-activated, SHH-activated, Group 3, and Group 4.
Michael revealed that Isabella has WNT-activated medulloblastoma. This is the least common type, although it has the best prognosis, with a survival rate of 90 percent.
Michael revealed that Isabella has the WNT variant, the most treatable form of medulloblastoma. It has a 90 percent survival rate
Isabella will now undergo chemotherapy at Duke University – where her twin sister Sophia is currently studying. The sisters are seen with their father in 2019
Overall, the survival rate for both adults and children with medulloblastoma is approximately 70 percent.
Medulloblastomas grow quickly, but even in more advanced stages they typically do not spread to other parts of the body.
On October 27, a day before her 19th birthday, Isabella underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumor, with Michael stating that doctors wanted to “get the tumor out as quickly as possible.”
“It sent a message of how serious it was when they said, ‘Hey, you shouldn’t risk putting her on a plane to take her to the East Coast or another doctor. We know what it is, and we have to go there. it out as quickly as possible,” said Michael.
However, doctors told the family they were “confident” they could treat the cancer.
The tumor can be difficult to remove completely because it is often located near veins and other important brain structures. According to the Mayo Clinic, most people with medulloblastoma need additional treatments after surgery.
After the operation, Isabella had to endure a ‘grueling month of rehabilitation’ during which she had to learn to walk again.
“She was heavily medicated, as you can imagine,” Michael said.
“But she had conversations, she had a lot of her friends, they just came and sat with her.
‘And there were times when she was in a lot of pain. She slept a lot.”
She also completed proton radiation therapy, which uses particles called protons instead of x-rays like typical radiation.
According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the advantage of proton radiation is that it can be targeted more directly at the tumor and causes less damage to surrounding tissue.
However, the therapy is still new and not yet widely available.
Isabella said she experienced some side effects from the radiation, including fatigue, nausea and dizziness.
Isabella completed the treatment just one day before revealing her struggle.
“I got to ring the bell yesterday (signaling the end of treatment),” she said. ‘It was great, it was very exciting, because it was thirty long sessions (over) six weeks.’
She will begin chemotherapy in February at Duke University, where her twin sister Sophia is a student.
“I hope to be a voice and be a person that people who might be going through chemotherapy or radiation can look to and find something interesting to do in their time.”
She added, “Perspective is a great thing. I’m grateful that I can just walk, see friends or do something because when you can’t do something it really impacts you.”
Michael expressed his “proud” of his daughter’s bravery and praised Isabella for “facing every day with the best attitude,” even despite a scary diagnosis.
“You learn that you’re probably not as strong as you thought you were when you actually have to think about the real things,” he said. ‘And I realized that I need support from everyone.
“You think I’m the athlete, the tough guy, (that) I can handle it (because) I’m the dad of the family.
“You know, it’s not about that. It does not matter. It has made me change my perspective on so many things in my life.”