Thanks to study-drug, Accutane, 2-year-old Bailey Bennett of Independence and her family are hoping that her life-threatening illness will be in remission this month.
Last June Bennett was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nervous system. This cancer occurs only in infants and children under the age of 10. As in most cases, Bailey’s began in her abdomen.
In October, she underwent a successful surgery of her abdomen, where a large part of the malignant mass was located. In November, Bailey had a scan that showed no cancer cells left in her body.
“She knows she’s sick and taking medications,” Polen said. “But it’s her life.”
Now, Bailey is participating in a medical study and taking Accutane, an adult acne mediation. The study requires that she take the medication for 14 days and then come off of it for another 14 days. The objective of the study is to test which medication works better: Accutane or a type of antibody medication. So far, the Accutane has been proven to stop the growth of the neuroblastoma cells and has been a success for Bailey.
In addition to her Accutane medication, Bailey has to take seven other medications twice a day. If that wasn’t enough for the now almost 3-year-old, she goes in once a month for lab work before she begins each 14-day Accutane regiment.
Because of the frequent appointments for Bailey’s scans, Polen is unemployed, but the mother and daughter duo believes they live a fairly normal life. Their day begins in the morning when Bailey gets up and takes her seven medications. On some days, the two visit Bailey’s grandparents, on other days, the two have their mommy-daughter time alone.
“It’s just me and her so we kind of do what we want,” Polen said.
When they’re not out enjoying the day, Polen has to clean Bailey’s hickman, or central line, which is a system of tubes inserted in Bailey’s bloodlines though her chest.
“The tubes are used if the doctors have to take blood, and chemo was given there, too,” Polen said. “She doesn’t have to get pricked because they access her blood through the line, and she doesn’t feel any pain.”
Polen is hopeful that the lines will be removed as early as the end of August when doctors hope to declare Bailey’s neuroblastoma in remission. At this time, because Bailey has been slowly experiencing vision loss, doctors will follow-up with a vision and hearing test.
