Megan set for treatment in Boston

THE family of a 4-year- old Co Cork girl undergoing treatment for a rare brain tumour in the US are now preparing to move from New York to Boston, after doctors confirmed she will need radiotherapy, something her family had hoped wouldn’t be necessary.

Megan Malone, from Kilnamartyra near Macroom, was diagnosed with a rare cancerous brain tumour last October and it was also discovered the cancer had spread to her spine. While she was given just weeks to live by doctors in Ireland, she continues to make a remarkable recovery.

Megan and her family travelled to the US last December where the youngster has been receiving treatment at New York’s Presbyterian Children’s Hospital.

The family is now set to move 350km to Boston where Megan will undergo radiotherapy treatment over a six-week period.

The Malones are confident that following treatment in Boston, Megan will be able to return to Ireland at the end of August or early September.

Megan’s father John said: “The doctors feel themselves that there may be no cancer left, at least from what they can see. The brain has been clear for the last two MRI’s which is great news but there is still some uncertainty in the fact they still see a sort of spaghetti string down the spine and while they feel that it is cancer, it is probably dead cancer because it was also present in the last scan.

“They reckon though there is no way that would have remained alive with the high-dose chemo she received over a two-month period.

“Because of that uncertainty and because the doctors think there may be some cancer at cellular level that could cause a recurrence, they feel it would be prudent to send Megan to Boston for proton beam radiation therapy which is what we have now agreed to do.

“The doctors feel there may be a strong argument for giving a preventative dose of radiotherapy to the brain to basically prevent it (cancer) from coming back.”

Doctors, who have described Megan’s recovery as “extraordinary”, have told the Malones radiation treatment on her brain could negatively affect her IQ by 10%-15%, but the Malones are confident that this is the best possible chance of her surviving.

“My own gut feeling is that Megan is cancer-free right now but because there is a 30%-80% chance of this cancer coming back, proton beam radiation, from what I know about it, is the best option for her. It is designed to limit the amount of damage to neighbouring cells but any radiation to a 4-year-old brain is going to have a negative effect so to try and limit the amount of radiation to the brain is the key now.

“When this treatment is finished, Megan should be able to fly home to Ireland directly from Boston and we hope we can do that at the end of August or early September.”