Washington girl, 5, cured of cancer 18 months after her dentist spotted suspiciously loose teeth that were signs of a tumor

A five-year-old girl is now cancer-free after a tumor was found during a routine dentist's visit.

 

Hunter Jones, from Everett, Washington, was visiting Dr Harlyn Sussarla at Stellar Kids Dentistry for a cleaning in August 2017 when the dentist noticed several loose teeth.

 

Thinking it was strange for the little girl's age, Dr Sussarla ordered an X-ray, which revealed a tumor in Hunter's jaw, reported KOMO News.

 

A few days later, the family visited Seattle Children's Hospital, where surgeons confirmed she had neuroblastoma, a cancer that forms in nerve tissue. 

 

Following 18 months of aggresstive chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, Hunter is now cancer-free. 

 

Hunter's mother, Kara, says she was shocked by the diagnosis because her daughter had shown no signs or symptoms that anything was wrong. 

 

'I was freaked out,' she told KOMO News. 'I was at the dentist. You don't... tumor? No.'   

 

Neuroblastoma is a cancer that develops in immature nerve cells throughout the body.

 

It most commonly begins in the adrenal glands, which are right on top of the kidneys, but can also develop in other places such as the chest, abdomen or spine.

 

Symptoms include abdominal pain, chest pain, dark circles around the eyes, fever, and weight loss.  

 

The cancer is most frequently diagnosed in children who are five years old or younger.

 

Treatment depends on the tumor's location and size but can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy and stem cell transplants.

 

According to the American Cancer Society, about 800 new cases of neuroblastoma are diagnosed each year in the US.

 

Hunter was diagnosed with high-risk stage IV neuroblastoma, which has a five-year survival rate of between 40 to 50 percent.

 

'We found out she had a tumor in her abdomen,' her father, Jay, told KOMO News. 'And it spread to her hip as well.' 

 

Over the next 18 months, the little girl spent 140 days at Seattle Children's Hospital.

 

According to a GoFundMe page, she underwent two surgeries, five rounds of chemotherapy, 12 rounds of radiation, two stem cell transplants and six rounds of immunotherapy. 

 

'The treatment is harsh and comes with risks of up to 90 [percent] that Hunter...will get a secondary disease such as leukemia, kidney disease, liver disease, and/or heart disease,' the GoFundMe page reads.

 

'But is necessary due to how difficult it is to cure and keep the cancer from coming back.' 

 

At her final treatment last month, Hunter was declared cancer-free.

 

Recently, Hunter visited her dentist and gave her a handmade card with the words: 'I love you' written on it.  

 

'The fact that this was something that was found in the dental chair, I'm grateful that I saw this and that she was able to get the care the treatment that she needed,' Dr. Susarla told KOMO News. 'Honestly, I probably think about her every day.'

 

Hunter was recently enrolled in a clinical trial at New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for a neuroblastoma vaccine that could help prevent relapse. 

 

The family has started a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of Hunter's medical bills.

 

So far, they've raised more than $24,500 out of a $50,000 goal.