This little tyke is only two years old and is already a brain tumor survivor and is now undergoing a new anti cancer technology called the Proton Beam Therapy. According to Dr. Robert Lustig, the director of radiation oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, this new technology is likely to be the new standard for pediatric brain tumors.
Little Addison Keegan had violent flu symptoms which revealed a deadly diagnosis that of a brain tumor, called an Ependymoma in her brain stem. Surgery removed the tumor, which also revealed itself to be benign.
Now in order to see that the residual tumor cells do not cause any further damage, this new technology called Proton Beam Therapy is being tried out instead of conventional radiation.
This treatment is unlike normal radiation which is a likely cause for collateral damage such as hearing, vision and learning impairment since it can cross over to healthy tissue of the brain as well.
Proton beam therapy on the other hand stops just beyond the brain tumor and therefore is less likely to cause damage to healthy tissue of the brain. It is being thought that the new technology, Proton Beam Therapy, is very likely to minimize radiation side effects.
