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Search forHull teen: 'I won't let rare cancer beat me'
Thursday, November 20, 2008, 07:00
Danny Love, 15, of Middleton Street, city centre, was diagnosed with choriocarcinoma – a type of germ cell tumour – in May.
The condition tends to occur in young adults, but a doctor at St James's Hospital in Leeds said Danny is one of the youngest people in the country to have this type of cancer.
It started in one of his testicles before spreading to his stomach, lungs and liver.
He had four courses of chemotherapy over three months, but the tumours returned.
Danny, who has travelled for treatment at St James's Hospital, known as Jimmy's, every week since he was diagnosed, has recently had surgery to remove a tumour.
He is now facing Christmas in hospital as he undergoes the extra courses of chemotherapy. His blood will then be monitored to see if the tumours return.
If they do not, he will have surgery to remove the tumours in his abdomen and his lungs at a later date.
Despite facing further treatment, Danny said he is determined to fight the disease.
He said: "When I found out I had cancer, the only thing that came out of my mouth was 'Am I going to die?'
"But I don't think about it. I will always be strong and I focus on my mates and life.
"I have more strength now and I don't feel like I have got cancer. I have already fought it and I'm going to carry on doing that.
"If my mum wasn't here, I don't know what I would do. I also have a lot of respect for the staff at Jimmy's hospital."
Dr Martin Elliott, consultant paediatric oncologist at St James's Hospital, said: "We get a lot of patients of Daniel's age, but not that many with this type of tumour.
"He is one of the youngest people in the country to have this type of cancer."
Danny Love, 15, of Middleton Street, Hull, who has choriocarcinoma
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