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Young Mother Battled Stage IV Cancer to See Son Grow

Young Mother Battled Stage IV Cancer to See Son Grow
DOCTOR’S DESK: She refused to give up · deccanchronicle.com

A young mother was diagnosed with a serious bone cancer called osteosarcoma.

The cancer was already at stage IV, so doctors thought she might have only a short time to live.

She wanted to stay alive long enough to watch her baby boy grow.

Dr Kishore B. Reddy operated on her and she continued receiving treatment.

The cancer later spread to her lungs.

Even so, she lived for five years after her surgery.

During that time, she saw her son grow and start school.

Her story showed Dr Reddy that patients are people with loved ones and hopes, not just medical reports.

He also emphasized that hope cannot replace surgery, chemotherapy and other treatments.

Key facts

Patient
An unnamed woman in her early twenties and mother of a newborn son
Diagnosis
Stage IV osteosarcoma of the femur
Initial outlook
Survival was described as often around one to one-and-a-half years, depending on the disease and treatment response
Treatment
Surgery and continued cancer treatment, including medical interventions such as chemotherapy
Complication
The cancer later spread to her lungs
Outcome
She lived five years after surgery, saw her son reach school-going age, and eventually died
Treating doctor
Dr Kishore B. Reddy, Chief Ortho Oncologist and MD at Amor Hospitals

Quotes

Dr Kishore B. Reddy

Chief Orthopaedic Oncologist and MD at Amor Hospitals.

“What stays with me is not the statistic, but why she wanted to live. She simply wanted to see her son grow up. As doctors, we treat the disease, but sometimes it is that deeply personal reason that gives a patient the strength to keep fighting.”
deccanchronicle.com
“We are trained to look at scans, reports and treatment responses, but patients are not just their disease. Her determination was extraordinary. She had something she desperately wanted to live for, and that gave her tremendous strength.”
deccanchronicle.com

The young mother

A young mother with stage IV osteosarcoma, whose words were recalled by Dr Kishore B. Reddy.

“My husband will eventually get married again and settle down, but what will happen to my son if I am not there?”
deccanchronicle.com

Sources

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