Tumor removed from nine-year-old girl with ovarian cancer in Havana

Cuban doctors successfully removed a malignant tumor that a nine-year-old girl had in her right ovary.

Naila Ayrado Rivero, anesthesiologist at the Pediatric Hospital of Centro Habana, recounted what happened to the little girl.Carolyn, whose mother discovered an increase in volume in her abdomen on August 19.

Upon taking her to the hospital and examining her, the doctors initially thought it could be early menstruation retained in the uterus, although the girl never had any bleeding or pain.

"Apparently, the tumor grew until it no longer had much space inside the cavity, but with the intense physical activity and the type of exercise he did while playing, it moved forward until it bulged the abdominal wall. In the Pediatrics it is ruled out that it was the period (menstruation) and confirmed the tumor, but it was not known until the contrast-enhanced tomography was done that it was a Grade II right ovarian teratoma," explained the doctor inFacebook.

As he explained, these tumors are almost always benign. They are made up of different cells from the embryonic period, which is why they have hair, teeth, bones, cartilage and even eye, brain and liver tissues, which gives them an unpleasant appearance that gives rise to the name teratoma: tera in Latin is a monster and takes It's a tumor.

"Immediately after the radiological diagnosis, surgery was performed and it was completely removed, fortunately and due to the speed between diagnosis and surgery. It was encapsulated and there were no metastases in neighboring organs, only some small nodes in the peritoneum, which is why which constitutes a Grade II and the reason for the four cycles of chemotherapy indicated to control the oncological disease and avoid metastatic ramifications to other regions," the publication states.

Recently Carolyn finished the third cycle, but she had marrow aplasia (disappearance of the cells that produce blood in the bone marrow) which is not common in these cases, but can occur.

"His platelets dropped a lot, increasing the risk of bleeding and other complications, but all measures were taken to correct it, thank God he is better now and his platelet levels went up," said Ayrado Rivero.

"God is great, in addition, the joint work of the pediatric oncologists and specialists from the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, together with the care of the parents, is giving good results. It is a long and tortuous path, as I have told you other times, but generally When it is diagnosed in time the chances increase for a good result," he stressed.

For her part, the patient is happy because she will soon return to school with her friends.

"I give you beautiful photos of today's doll and her little sister with her parents. I invite you to leave your messages of affection, as always, and I assure you that she and her parents will read them," said the specialist.

Last September, a team fromVilla Clara pediatric hospital removed a huge tumor from a six-day-old baby born, and in less than a month he was already discharged.

The child had been diagnosed before birth with classic neuroblastoma - a form of childhood cancer that commonly occurs in the first year of age - in the right adrenal gland. The doctors decided to operate soon and managed to remove the entire tumor.

"Now he can develop a normal life because he is already a completely healthy child," said official reporter Belkis Vidal.

Last June, also in Villa Clara, the completion of a complexSurgery on a 70-year-old Cuban to remove a 10-pound tumor which was lodged in the left hemithorax and his lung was collapsing.

Months before,Cuban doctors removed an 11-pound tumor from a 38-year-old patient from Isla de la Juventud who suffers from neurofibromatosis, a genetic disease in which benign tumors form throughout the skin.