Michael Strahan’s daughter to be treated for brain cancer at Duke Children’s Hospital
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The daughter of TV personality and former NFL player Michael Strahan will begin receiving treatment for a malignant brain tumor at Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center, Strahan said Thursday.
Strahan and his daughter, Isabella, 19, shared her ongoing battle with medulloblastoma, a brain tumor that primarily affects children.
In an interview with journalist Robin Roberts that aired on “Good Morning America,” Strahan said Isabella was first diagnosed in October while a freshman at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
About a month before the appointment, she was experiencing headaches, Strahan said during the interview.
“I didn’t notice anything was off till probably like Oct. 1,” she said. “That’s when I definitely noticed headaches, nausea, couldn’t walk straight.”
When she woke up weeks later and threw up blood, Strahan said she told her family something “probably isn’t good.”
She was first treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles where doctors found a 4-centimeter tumor, about the width of a golf ball, in the back of her brain.
On Oct. 27, days before she turned 19, Strahan underwent an emergency operation to remove the tumor. She spent the next month getting radiation treatment and learning how to walk again.
Strahan will begin her treatment in Durham Feb 1. She will be documenting her journey at Duke through a YouTube series partnering with the children’s hospital.
In her first video posted Thursday, Strahan said, “Time will heal. ... Things will get back to being calmer.”
“I hope anyone who sees this knows that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and things will get better,” she said.
What is medulloblastoma?
Medulloblastoma is a fast-growing cancerous brain tumor that develops in the cerebellum, where movement and coordination are controlled.
It mostly affects children ages 5 to 9 and can spread to other parts of the central nervous system and spinal cord, according to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke. (Doctors at Duke Children’s Hospital were not available for comment with The News & Observer on Thursday.)
According to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, medulloblastoma is the most common childhood cancer, accounting for 20% of all childhood tumors. Though younger children are diagnosed most often, infants and adults can be affected too. An estimated 357 people are diagnosed with medulloblastoma each year, 140 of them are adults.
Doctors categorize medulloblastoma into four molecular groups, according to St. Jude:
SHH medulloblastoma: the most common form in patients under 5 years old. It also occurs in children over 17 and makes up about 30% of all medulloblastoma cases.
WNT, or “wint,” medulloblastoma: occurs in children age 4 to early adulthood. The subgroup makes up 10% of all cases.
Group 3 medulloblastoma: largely affects infants and children, making up 25% of all cases. This type occurs twice as much in boys than girls and has a set of genes that are often mutated in tumor cells. Patients are considered high-risk depending on their age and the tumor’s features and require intense radiation therapy.
Group 4 medulloblastoma: affects patients of all ages and makes up 35 to 40% of cases. This type is three times more common in boys and has typically spread by the time it is found. These tumors are considered intermediate to high-risk.
What are the symptoms of medulloblastoma? The most common signs include changes in appetite, headaches, nausea, vomiting and drowsiness, according to the American Brain Tumor Association.
Symptoms also depend on the child’s age, the location of the tumor, and the stage of development. Others might include
changes in activity level
clumsiness or loss of balance
dizziness
problems with handwriting
vision changes or unusual eye movements
irritability
If the cancerous cells have spread to the spinal cord symptoms can include back pain, trouble walking and problems controlling bowel or bladder functions.
Cancer is a result of genetic mutations and the cause of medulloblastoma is a mystery, according to the National Cancer Institute. A small percentage are related to gene changes passed down through families.
How is medulloblastoma treated? Removing the tumor is the first step, the American Brain Tumor Association notes. Radiation and chemotherapy follow.
Radiation therapy is usually delayed in young children due to the risks to their developing brains.
At Duke Children’s Hospital, cancer patients are treated by a team of doctors who meet regularly to discuss treatments and process, making adjustments as needed. in 2023, the hospital was ranked among the 10 best pediatric specialty hospitals in the nation and the best in the state.
What is the survival rate for medulloblastoma? A patient’s prognosis depends on different factors including where the tumor has spread, their age and the molecular type.
Most medulloblastoma patients have a 5-year survival rate of 72% or more.
Who are Michael and Isabella Strahan?
Michael Strahan played 15 years as a defensive end for the New York Giants, helping them defeat the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl in 2007. He has three daughters and one son.
In 1999, he married his now ex-wife Jean Muggli and had twin daughters, Isabella and Sophia, in 2004.
Last May, Isabella launched a campaign ad with Sephora Collection mascara, her first modeling gig.
