Brooklyn Park woman fights rare form of cancer
A Brooklyn Park woman is battling the same disease that killed actress Audrey Hepburn and recently claimed the life of ESPN sportscaster Stuart Scott. Appendix cancer affects one in a million people. The cancer is so rare, less than a handful of surgeons specialize in this type of cancer in Minnesota.
Angel Harrington learned she had the disease three years ago. She woke up in the middle of the night with intense abdominal pain. Harrington then went to Maple Grove Hospital to have emergency surgery to remove her appendix.
"When I woke up from the anesthesia the doctor said we removed the appendix but you have a long journey from here, it's not over," said Harrington.
The 46-year-old mother and wife learned that the cancerous tumor starts in the appendix, and when it ruptures, it spreads to the abdominal cavity.
"It's definitely a blow, a mental blow, an emotional blow," she said.
The cancer generally does not go outside of the abdominal cavity, but it can spread quickly and is very difficult to treat. The treatment involves a long procedure called cytoreductive surgery. That's followed by a heated chemotheraphy bath in the abdomen.
There are different forms of appendix cancer. some are more aggressive than others. Harrington's cancer was caught early so she gets CT scans every six months. And she also joined a local support group to get her through tough times. There are two other Brooklyn Park residents in the group.
"You start to enjoy the little things, watching your son play basketball, laughing with the family, playing a board game. Those are really the important things and it's the small things to really savor," she said.
For more information: www.pmpcure.org/content/about-pmp
Sonya Goins, reporting
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