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Two young people know all about cancer battles
(by Sue Hoffman - September 17, 2008)
Two young people know all about cancer battles
By SUE HOFFMAN
Two young people in Solon who have faced a life-threatening foe are winning the fight.
Harrison Biros, 2½, and Rachael Passov, 18, have both had cancer.
Harrison was diagnosed with intestinal lymphangiectasia and a cancerous mass on his kidney called a Wilms tumor when he was 10 weeks old. His right kidney was removed, and he underwent 18 weeks of chemotherapy. He has had no recurrence of the cancer since that time.
Ms. Passov, a 2008 Solon High School graduate and freshman at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., had 2½ years of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 12½. She also had a cancerous growth removed from the parotid gland two years ago.
Each case of cancer is different. Harrison was diagnosed early, his parents said.
"His tumor was stage one, with favorable histology and was easier to treat than one that is more advanced," said Harrison's mother, Mary Birso. Life flighted from the Cleveland Clinic in Solon to the hospital's main campus on May 4, 2006, Harrison had his kidney removed about a month later. His chemotherapy concluded Oct. 23, 2006.
"Every day is a countdown from the day they stopped chemotherapy," said Harrison's father, Scott Biros. "He will soon be cancer free for two years." He said Harrison has a 99 percent chance of recovery from the disease.
Ms. Passov's non-Hodgkin lymphoma was discovered at a later stage, said her mother, Sharon Passov. "They treated her aggressively. We're lucky they caught it when they did."
The subsequent growth in her daughter's parotid gland was extremely rare, Mrs. Passov said, and she wonders if it may have been caused by prior treatment. "There's a lot of fallout after chemotherapy and radiation. It takes many years for the immune system to come back," she said.
Both families said they experienced shock when their children were diagnosed.
"You don't think about it until it happens to you," Mrs. Biros said.
"We want to raise awareness that this can happen," Mr. Biros said. "Each year 12,500 children are diagnosed with cancer. That's a lot of people."
The Biroses praised recent legislation which earmarked $30 million for cancer research and awareness.
"It's a good start," Mrs. Biros said. "I would like to see more money put into educating people about childhood cancer and developing treatment for more advanced cancer."
When cancer is diagnosed, there is psychological and physical stress for everyone, Mrs. Biros said. "It's hard for people to look at a kid with cancer as just a kid. Families with cancer feel isolated," she said.
"The whole grieving process when your kid is diagnosed really changes everything," Mrs. Biros said. "There's anger and denial."
Mrs. Passov said she, her husband, Joel, and daughter received tremendous support from the Cleveland Clinic and Solon School District.
"Rachael received letters from her peers," and they also helped, she said. "Friends can drop away when they see the physical changes. She had frizzy short hair from the chemo; her cheeks were puffed out from steroids." One person didn't recognize her, and she was hurt, she said. "Then again, there were kids who came around no matter what."
Mrs. Passov, who volunteers at the Cleveland Clinic's pediatric hospital with her golden retriever, said the school district sent tutors in each subject. "That worked out well, and her sixth-grade teacher was so supportive," she said.
She didn't miss a beat, Mrs. Passov said. Rachael took six Advanced Placement classes last year, she said. "She had eight APs altogether and got 5's on all her AP tests, except for one 4. She is a National Merit Finalist, a National AP Scholar and was appointed a Jacobs Scholar at Cornell University," she said.
"I'm glad we were in Solon. They were wonderful. We've got a great community."
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