This 3yo Girl Had Breast Cancer But She Beat It & is Now the World’s Youngest Survivor

This is amazing! 

A three-year-old girl, Yan Yan from Shandong province, China became the youngest breast cancer survivor when her treatment was successfully carried out after an early detection of the disease. 

Nextshark reported that her mother first found out that Yan Yan’s singlet was stained by a “red, sticky discharge” but she didn’t look further into the matter.

The stain was persistent but it was only later that her mother felt a small lump on Yan Yan’s left chest. The worried mother quickly rushed her daughter to the hospital to consult a doctor about the discovery.

Source: nextshark

Upon examination, the doctor told the mother to cease Yan Yan’s dietary supplement because her daughter was showing “early sexual maturation”. However, Yan Yan’s mother revealed that her daughter had not been taking any supplements.

So, the mother who was unsatisfied with the doctor’s examination sought for a second opinion at Jiangsu People’s Hospital. The doctors at Jiangsu People’s Hospital discovered that Yan Yan’s left breast had a mass and “a swollen lymph node in her armpit”. 

After Yan Yan’s biopsy returned, the doctors’ suspicion was proven true and it showed that the toddler had been suffering from Secretory Breast Carcinoma (SBC). 

Source: nextshark

FYI, SBC is an extremely rare “slow-growing” cancer which was formerly referred to as “juvenile breast carcinoma” as it was first discovered in children and adolescents. 

Following that, Yan Yan had to go through a surgery which was performed by breast cancer specialist Tang Jin Hai.

Prior to the surgery, the doctors had consulted several experts from Harvard Medical School and held video conferences with them to talk about the treatment plans. Taking into account the surgery’s after-effects as Yan Yan matures, the team decided to remove the lump and preserve the mammary glands.

Source: nextshark

They also took out the lymph node for another biopsy and thankfully, the biopsy turned out negative. This means that her cancer had not spread to other places.

Following a successful surgery and good results, Yan Yan is set to make a full recovery and she was discharged on 3 December 2018. 

It was definitely a difficult experience to go through especially for someone as young as Yan Yan! We commend her strength and resilience throughout the whole ordeal. We also wish the young girl all the best for her future.

Also read: Father With Advanced Cancer Fulfills Dying Wish Of Walking Daughter Down The Aisle