Mangaluru : A 12-year-old girl from Shivamogga diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and advanced Burkitt lymphoma is leading a normal life after undergoing treatment for two years, Yenepoya Medical College and Hospital said.
The child was brought to the hospital at the age of 10 with chronic kidney disease and was initially treated with medicines. Blood tests revealed dangerously high calcium levels.
The hospital said coordinated care by haemato-oncology, nephrology and paediatric specialists helped her overcome multiple life-threatening complications. As her kidney function deteriorated, she was put on dialysis. A month later, she developed swelling around her head and face and lumps in her neck. PET and CT scans detected Burkitt lymphoma, an aggressive cancer of the lymphatic system, which had spread to her skull, jaw, ribs, limbs, lungs and abdomen. She also developed a clot in the internal jugular vein.
Over the next eight to 10 months, she battled serious infections, a fungal lung infection, a blood clot in brain veins, prolonged low platelet counts and kidney disease-related high blood pressure. Doctors adjusted cancer treatment dosages to protect her compromised kidneys. The clot left her bedridden at one stage. Follow-up PET scans showed complete remission, with no evidence of cancer. Though she continues to have chronic kidney disease, she no longer requires dialysis. She can walk, has normal blood counts and is leading a normal life.