In April 2015, Amber, an otherwise perfectly healthy 14-year-old girl, began experiencing back pain. X-rays showed signs of scoliosis and she was referred to an orthopedist who provided her with a back brace. Eight months later, during a routine check-up, Amber’s x-rays showed a possible tumour in her vertebra.

Further testing confirmed the presence of a destructive lesion in various sections of the vertebra as well as two of Amber’s ribs; in addition to a lesion in the dorsal right lower brainstem. Amber’s deeply concerned mother, Rosana, brought her daughter to a children’s hospital where additional imaging and a biopsy were performed. The results led her doctors to officially diagnose Amber with multifocal histiocytic sarcoma, a very rare and aggressive malignant tumor.

Amber was recommended several types of chemotherapy in addition to radiation and the drug thalidomide. Both Amber and her mother struggled to remain optimistic when they discovered that the tumour was not responding to her doctor’s recommended course of treatment.

When Amber was diagnosed, I was full of questions and felt very concerned. I needed someone to have a second look at the case, in the hope that other treatment options would be available.

As Rosana’s concerns grew she was delighted to discover that through her insurance policy, her daughter also had access to the Best Doctors’ second medical opinion service. Amber’s case was placed in the hands of the international Best Doctors medical team who requested further pathology testing to be 100% sure of the diagnosis. Best Doctors world renowned Oncologist assessment of the diagnosis was very different to the original diagnosis, therefore to be absolutely sure, an additional review was arranged again the different diagnosis was confirmed.

Best Doctors expert found that Amber’s condition was actually pseudomyogenic hemangioendothelioma, an extremely rare soft tissue tumor.

The Best Doctors expert explained that the recommended procedures for her tumour are radiation and surgery, not chemotherapy. The conclusions were presented to Amber’s local oncologist who later called the Best Doctors expert to discuss and officially change her diagnosis.

The report was extremely helpful and comprehensive. Thank you for taking the time to review my daughter’s case.

Rosana is thrilled to know that thanks to Best Doctors, Amber has the right diagnosis and they have the optimal treatment plan to tackle the tumour.