UK Girl Diagnosed With Rare Cancer After Pea-Sized Lump On Cheek Grows Within Weeks

A 16-year-old girl in the United Kingdom who was sent home with antibiotics by a dentist when a pea-sized lump appeared on her cheek has been diagnosed with a rare cancer after the mass grew to the size of a "tennis ball" within weeks. According to The Independent, Gaby Maurice was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the soft tissue, at 13 after first noticing an initially pea-sized lump in her right cheek in 2021. Initially, dentists believed that the lump was related to her teeth, however, as the swelling increased, she was advised to visit a general practitioner (GP). 

"It was like a little pea at first, but it was growing bigger and bigger every single day," the 16-year-old said, as per the outlet. "It started right at the top and then it started spreading all the way down (my face) - and after six weeks, it was the size of a tennis ball," she added. 

After ultrasound and biopsy, it was revealed that the teenager had rhabdomyosarcoma and she would need to undergo treatment, including chemotherapy, which caused all her hair to fall out. Ms Gaby said that the chemotherapy was a "shock" to her body, and she experienced side effects of extreme exhaustion, nausea, and hair loss, leaving her feeling "insecure". 

"Your body doesn't really know how to react to it. I couldn't even walk to a toilet without collapsing because of how weak it made my body feel," she said.

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According to the outlet, the schoolgirl had several operations, including a 14-hour surgery to remove the entire tumour. She has since reached remission, which was a "big weight off (her) shoulders". 

Speaking about the impact of her own diagnosis, she added, "I'm proud of my scars because it shows what I've been through - I battled cancer and I made it out the other side."

Now, although she still needs regular check-ups and scans, she is back at school. The 16-year-old said that she feels her "normality" is returning after missing out on a whole year of school. She also revealed that she hopes to become a children's oncology nurse to "give back" to other young patients with cancer.