Isabella Strahan shares positive update in brain tumor battle
Isabella Strahan shared some good news as she continues to battle medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumor.
Strahan revealed Wednesday on her YouTube channel that she will be done with chemotherapy in May after her treatments were reduced.
"My doctor just called me and told me I only have to do two more rounds of chemotherapy, and it's like the biggest thing. I'm so happy," Strahan said, while crying what she described as "happy tears." "So I'll be done in May and I can kind of try to have a summer to feel better."
Strahan, the daughter of "Good Morning America" co-anchor Michael Strahan, said she was originally told she would have to do six rounds of chemotherapy, which would have had her finishing treatments at the end of July.
Now, with her rounds of chemotherapy reduced to four, Isabella Strahan said she will have more time off from treatments before returning in the fall to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
The 19-year-old was just one month into her freshman year at USC last fall when she began experiencing headaches and nausea. After testing, doctors discovered she had developed a fast-growing 4-centimeter tumor, larger than a golf ball, in the back of her brain, which was diagnosed as medulloblastoma.
Medulloblastoma is a type of malignant tumor that accounts for about 20% of all childhood brain tumors, according to estimates published in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. About 300 children are diagnosed with medulloblastoma each year.
Since her diagnosis, which she revealed publicly in January, Isabella Strahan has undergone brain surgery as well as several rounds of radiation treatment.
She began chemotherapy in February and has endured several hospitalizations due to setbacks including fevers.
In her latest vlog, Isabella Strahan spoke about side effects of chemotherapy she has experienced including hair loss, brain fog, physical weakness and fatigue.
She has been sharing her health journey and raising awareness about brain tumors on her YouTube channel, which benefits Duke University's Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, where she has been receiving treatment.
Near the end of her latest video, Isabella Strahan breaks down in tears when she is surprised by her twin sister, Sophia, who is a student at Duke University.
"Today just go so much better because Sophia just surprised me," she said. "There are a lot of happy tears today."
