A mock cancer test in medical class came true for Gabriella Barboza. The unlucky 22-year-old student was horrified to discover that she had cervical cancer during a tumor diagnosis class…
It was an unfortunate coincidence that happened during Gabriella Barboza’s medical class. At the age of 22, the young woman went from being a medical student to a patient…
Now in his third year, his professor, Dr. Daniel Lichtenthaler, asked him to demonstrate the proper way to examine patients for neck tumors. It was then that he discovered that something was wrong.
A real fake test
» When I found out, my world came crashing down “Gabriella told the newspaper New-York Post regarding this incident that occurred in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2020. Responding to her teacher’s request, Gabriella begins the exam. However, during this mock inspection, her teacher discovers real cancer symptoms that alert her immediately. She tells Gabriella that she take a test following class. Unfortunately for Gabriella, the exam only confirms what her teacher suspected: she has a type of thyroid cancer called papillary thyroid carcinoma, also known as PTC.
too young to die
PTC is the most common type of thyroid cancerThyroid cancer is the most common cancer of the thyroid gland, affecting regarding 200,000 Americans each year, primarily between the ages of 30 and 50, and is seen more often in women than men, according to the National Institute of Cancer. According to a study by the Columbia Thyroid Center in New York, thyroid cancer is the most frequent among women under 25 years of age and represents 80% of all cases. » I mightn’t stop thinking regarding it Gabriella explained, explaining that she was devastated by the diagnosis. I am too young to deal with this. I cried a lot and didn’t want to believe it. This is a time when you see things can end «.
A high rate of recovery
Although she initially had no signs of PTC, when she was diagnosed, Gabriella learned that the disease had metastasized to other parts of her neck, including her esophagus. Grateful to her teacher, the student added: «. I think that if I hadn’t left that day, I wouldn’t have found out so soon, my diagnosis would have taken much longer and might have been more serious. «. Due to the high rate of recovery from PTC, the doctors were convinced that Gabriella might beat the disease. In November 2020, Gabriella received the first stage of treatment, a thyroid ablation and peripheral neck tumors. In January 2021, she received iodine therapy.
No evidence of recurrence
Considered cured of her cancer in the same year, Gabriella now undergoes check-ups twice a year to make sure there are no recurrences. Her teacher, who at first mightn’t believe that she had cancer, was also happy regarding her student’s recovery. Once I found out that the treatment had been successful, I was very happy. “he commented. » After months of struggle, I want to record this extraordinary moment in my life, which has made me a better person and has made me see the world in a different way. Gabriella explained, concluding » I always wanted to be a doctor to take care of others and treat people, whatever their specialty. But following what I experienced as a patient, I think my perspective has changed. «.
