Jearlean Taylor was diagnosed with the rare pediatric cancer rhabdomyosarcoma at age three. Learn about this childhood cancer and its impact on families.
Jearlean is more than a top fashion model from Baltimore, Maryland. She is an author, speaker, and a cancer survivor who has to go through the rest of her life living with two ostomy bags attached to her body.
Jearlean Taylor was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma at age three. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of sarcoma. Sarcoma is cancer of soft tissue (such as muscle), connective tissue (such as tendon or cartilage), or bone. Rhabdomyosarcoma usually begins in muscles that are attached to bones and that help the body move. Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma in children. It can begin in many places in the body.
Types of Rhabdomyosarcoma to Watch For
There are three main types of rhabdomyosarcoma:
Embryonal: This type occurs most often in the head and neck area or in the genital or urinary organs. It is the most common type.
Alveolar: This type occurs most often in the arms or legs, chest, abdomen, genital organs, or anal area.
Anaplastic: This type rarely occurs in children.
Causes
The exact cause of RMS is unknown. However, it is thought to be related to genetic changes that occur in muscle cells. Some risk factors for RMS include:
- Certain genetic disorders, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome
- Exposure to radiation therapy or chemotherapy
- Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
Symptoms:
RMS can develop anywhere in the body, but it is most common in the following areas:
- Head and neck, Extremities, and Genitourinary tract.
Symptoms of RMS can vary depending on the location and size of the tumor. Some common symptoms include:
- A lump or mass
- Pain
- Swelling
- Difficulty swallowing
- Vision problems
- Blood in the urine or stool
Diagnosis
To diagnose RMS, a doctor will perform a physical exam and order imaging tests, such as an MRI or CT scan. A biopsy may also be performed to remove a sample of the tumor for analysis
How The Disease Affects Jerlean
Jearlean was cancer-free a year after her diagnosis but left with a permanent ostomy (colostomy and urostomy), which aids in her bladder and bowel functions. This causes her to wear (2) ostomy bags. An ostomy refers to the surgically created opening in the body for the discharge of body wastes. An ostomy bag (pouch) attaches to the abdomen and is fitted over and around the stoma to collect the diverted output, either stool or urine.
Despite having obvious setbacks due to her ostomy bags, Jearlean pushed on. Moving into one of her loves, fashion and modeling. And as anyone would think a model might be self-conscious about showing her body, but not Jearlean. As a matter of fact, she flourished.
By Derrick Lane
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- pediatric cancer
- childhood cancer
- rhabdomyosarcoma child
- sarcoma
- Jearlean Taylor
- rare cancer
- cancer diagnosis
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