An orange-sized tumor was detected in the brain of 2-year-old Nikita from Ukraine. After all the treatments in her country were inadequate, Nikita regained her health with surgery in Istanbul.
She got rid of a brain tumor as big as her head
When Nikita Franchuk, who lives in Ukraine, was 1 year old, he had a weakness in hand and foot function on his right side. Doctors in Ukraine recommended massage. He was walking, playing, but he couldn't open his hand fully, his foot was pressed inwards. Then one day he stopped moving. His family took him to the doctor. First they said, "It was a reaction to the vaccine", then "It was due to the tooth", then "There is a possibility of fluid accumulation in the brain". They said that the little boy's fontanelle was not closing and that they saw a fluid accumulation there.
CHEMOTHERAPY WAS NOT A CURE
At the hospital, tests revealed that Nikita had a brain tumor. The small tumor was anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, a rare type of childhood brain tumor. He was told he needed urgent surgery. In the meantime, he had started vomiting. So they operated immediately and removed a piece of the tumor with fluid. Nikita then received three cycles of chemotherapy, but there was no improvement. Her family started looking for treatment in another country. The intermediary organization suggested names of hospitals and doctors in Turkey, Germany and Israel. Several hospitals agreed to operate on Nikita's tumor. Among these doctors was Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bozbuğa. The family chose Turkey.
'NO LONGER AFRAID OF DOCTORS'
The 22-year-old mother, Marina Franchuk, described her experience in the following words: "My country does not have the same medical knowledge as Turkey. In Ukraine, they did not recommend Nikita to undergo surgery again because of 'infection', but here the tumor was completely removed. She no longer cries when she wakes up at night. She started walking, eating and laughing. Nikita was very hurt during the examinations and treatment in our country, she was very afraid of the doctors. But she loves her teacher Mustafa very much. We will come here for follow-ups, we thank everyone very much."
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMOVE IT WITHOUT DAMAGING THE BRAIN
NPISTANBUL Hospital Brain, Nerve and Spinal Cord Surgeon Prof. Dr. Dr. Mustafa Bozbuğa explained Nikita's treatment process in the following words: "The tumor was an orange-sized tumor that involved centers containing critical brain functions. She was operated on in Ukraine 3 months before she came to us. They removed the bone and that is why the brain is protruding. In these difficult tumor cases, it is necessary to remove only the tumor tissue very thinly without damaging the brain. If the tumor had not been removed, she would have had a chance to live for a few weeks, maybe a few months. With the microsurgical method, we removed 100 percent of what was visible in Nikita's tumor. The brain tissue has returned to its normal place. Since it is a malignant tumor, it will always be in our follow-up."
