Michael Strahan’s daughter has revealed she is fighting a brain cancer that usually strikes young children.
Medulloblastomas are malignant tumors that form in cerebrospinal fluid, the brain and spine’s protective coating, in the region that controls movement and coordination.
While they are relatively rare – affecting around 500 US patients each year – they are the most common type of brain cancer in children.
At 19, Isabella is one of less than one in 100,000 adults to be diagnosed with the condition, as it forms out of cells that are found at higher levels in children under 10.
However, she was diagnosed with a variant known as WNT, which has more than a 90 percent survival rate.
Isabella Strahan, 19, revealed on Good Morning America that she had been battling medulloblastoma
Medulloblastoma is a form of brain cancer that starts in the cerebellum, which sits 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
While the survival rate is good if caught early, the tumor is fast-growing, and symptoms can come on suddenly.
Isabella revealed that she was suffering from ‘excruciating headaches,’ as well as difficulty walking straight. After just a few weeks, she began throwing up blood.
Her treatment involved 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’s unclear what long-term effects it can have.
In the short term, it can lead to redness, irritation, swelling, dryness, and blistering.
Isabella underwent emergency surgery the day before her 19th birthday to remove a 4cm tumor from the back of her brain
She will also start chemotherapy in February.
Starting last fall, Isabella developed headaches and nausea. She also had difficulty walking.
She told Good Morning America that initially mistook the signs for vertigo, though, by October 25, she started throwing up blood.
After receiving an MRI scan, the doctor called and told Isabella to head to the hospital ‘right now.’
The scan showed a four-centimeter 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 like infections.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), medulloblastoma is considered an embryonal neuroepithelial tumor, meaning that it forms from cells that remain after birth.
Medulloblastoma is the most common type of solid tumor in children, accounting for about 25 percent of all childhood cancers.
Strahan explained that his daughter began suffering from headaches that became increasingly worse, leading them to seek professional help from doctors
Following surgery, Isabella underwent a ‘grueling month of rehab’ followed by several rounds of radiation treatment, before she finally got to ring the bell signifying the end of her treatment
However, it’s still rare, with just 350 to 500 cases per year, according to the Medulloblastoma Resource Network. Most of these are in children, with 75 percent occurring in kids under age 10.
The cancer is more common in males than females, though researchers are not sure why, and in people with pale skin.
In adults, the condition is much rarer, occurring in just 0.05 per 100,000 people. This is about 140 cases per year.
The NCI estimates that about 3,800 patients are living with medulloblastoma in the US.
According to the Mayo Clinic, medulloblastoma can occur more often in patients with a family history of conditions like Gorlin syndrome and Turcot syndrome, which both increase the risk of cancer.
As the tumor grows, it creates pressure in the brain. This results in symptoms like dizziness, double vision, headaches, nausea, fatigue, and vomiting.
Since the tumor originates in the cerebellum, which controls movement, pressing on that area can lead to issues with coordination.
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, though it has the best prognosis, with a 90 percent survival rate.
Michael revealed that Isabella has the WNT variant, which is 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 dad in 2019
Overall, the survival rate for both adults and children with medulloblastoma is about 70 percent.
Medulloblastomas are fast-growing, though even in more advanced stages, they don’t typically spread to other parts of the body.
On October 27, one day before her 19th birthday, Isabella underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumor, with Michael stating that doctors wanted to ‘get it out as soon as possible.’
‘It sent a signal of how serious it was when they said, “Hey, you shouldn’t risk trying to put her on a plane to get her to the East Coast or another doctor. We know what it is, and we should get it out as soon as possible,”‘ Michael said.
However, doctors told the family they were ‘confident’ they could treat the cancer.
The tumor can be difficult to remove entirely, as it’s often located near veins and other important brain structures. According to the Mayo Clinic, most people with medulloblastoma need additional treatments after surgery.
Following surgery, Isabella endured a ‘grueling month of rehab,’ during which she had to relearn how to walk.
‘She was heavily medicated, as you can imagine,’ Michael said.
‘But she would have conversations, she had a lot of her friends – they would come over just to sit with her.
‘And there were times when she was in a lot of pain. She was sleeping 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 does less damage to surrounding tissue.
However, the therapy is still new and not widely available.
Isabella said that she experienced a few side effects from radiation, including fatigue, nausea, and dizziness.
Isabella completed treatment just one day before revealing her battle.
‘I got to ring the bell [signifying the end of treatment] yesterday,’ she said. ‘It was great, it was very exciting because it’s been a long 30 sessions [over] six weeks.’
She will start chemotherapy in February at Duke University, where her twin sister Sophia is studying.
‘I hope to be a voice and be a person people who are maybe going through chemotherapy or radiation can look at and find something interesting in their day.’
She added: ‘Perspective is a big thing. I’m grateful just to walk or see friends or do something because when you can’t do something, it really impacts you.’
Voicing his ‘pride’ over his daughter’s bravery, Michael praised Isabella for ‘going into every day with the best attitude,’ even in the face of a scary diagnosis.
‘You learn that you’re probably not as strong as you thought you were when you have to really think about the real things,’ he said. ‘And I realized that I need support from everybody.
‘You think that I’m the athlete, the tough guy, [that] I can handle it [because] I’m the father of the family.
‘You know, it’s not about any of that. It doesn’t matter. It’s really made me change my perspective on so many things in my life.’
