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An Honor Roll Patient
One local teenager bravely faced cancer with a winning combination:
her supportive family, her positive attitude, and the expert care she received
at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital.
Tiffany Urmana, 18, of Wall
Township was just starting her
freshman year of high school when a
diagnosis of leukemia changed her life
forever. In addition to going to the mall
and hanging out with friends, Tiffany’s
teenage years would now include visits
to doctors’ offices and oncology units.
Her fight would result in her having
to be home-schooled, with limited
time and energy to enjoy her high
school years.
"Unless you have been through
something like this, it’s really hard to
explain to someone what it’s like,"
Tiffany says. "But I didn’t let it get me
down; I just did what I had to do."
First Things First
"Leukemia in children is actually quite
rare — about 1 in 100,000," offers
Margaret Masterson, M.D., pediatric
hematologist and oncologist at K.
Hovnanian Children’s Hospital and
the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
"But while fighting cancer is hard for
anyone, the impact on a child or teen
can bring its own set of medical and
personal challenges."
Leukemia is a cancer of the
blood and bone marrow, treated
by chemotherapy, radiation, and/or
medication therapies. However,
therapies designed to eradicate
cancer can also cause some side
effects that may require secondary
treatment. "These potential side effects
can bring serious complications,"
Dr. Masterson continues, "and with
leukemia, we have to treat the cancer
first and deal with the side effects
second. At K. Hovnanian Children’s
Hospital, we bring together a multidisciplinary
team to treat the patient
as a whole."
A Cancer Institute of
New Jersey affiliate,
K. Hovnanian Children’s
Hospital at Jersey Shore
provides comprehensive
diagnosis and treatment
for pediatric cancer patients
by some of the state’s
leading cancer experts in
an environment sensitive
to children and families.
After two and a half years
of receiving this specialized
care, Tiffany’s leukemia was
successfully in remission.
But in the process, the
side effects of the cancer
treatments began to take
their toll on her body in the
form of severe pain in her
bones and joints.
A Second Battle
Arthur Mark, M.D., boardcertified
orthopedic surgeon at Jersey
Shore, explains what happened to
Tiffany: "One potential side effect of
chemotherapy causes a condition
known as avascular necrosis, a loss
of blood supply to the joints and
deterioration in the bones. Medical
therapies can work to reverse the
effects of the condition, but in
certain cases, the most effective
option can be surgery."
In Tiffany’s case, both of her hip
joints were affected by avascular
necrosis, although her left hip was in
better shape than her right. Dr. Mark
thus replaced Tiffany’s right hip joint
with a ceramic joint designed to last
quite a long time, then he performed a
second, less invasive procedure, called
a core decompression, to correct the left hip by reducing pressure within the
bone and thereby increasing blood
flow and saving the joint.
Following the two successful
procedures and physical therapy,
Tiffany — who remarkably maintained
honor student status throughout her
bout with cancer — is now feeling
good, back in school, and using all she
learned from her experience to prepare
her for her next challenge: college.
"All the doctors and nurses always
took the time to explain everything
to me, so I am looking at possibly
becoming a physical therapist," says
Tiffany. "Fighting the cancer was tough,
but with the support of my family,
I learned to never lose hope and stay
positive. I want to use what I learned
to help others."
 – Michael Valentino
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