Michael Strahan's Daughter Diagnosed With Rare Cancerous Brain Tumor Known as Medulloblastoma: Understanding the Disease

Isabella Strahan, the daughter of TV personality and former NFL player Michael Strahan, is presently receiving treatment after being diagnosed with medulloblastoma, an uncommon malignant brain tumor.

In a recent interview on Good Morning America with her father and co-anchor Robin Roberts, 19-year-old Isabella publicly disclosed her diagnosis. She stated that she discovered she had the brain tumor in late October, just a few weeks after her symptoms emerged.

'Around the 1st of October is when I definitely noticed symptoms like headaches, nausea, and unsteady gait,' she informed. By the 25th of October, Isabella had begun to 'vomit blood,' leading her family to urge her to get immediate medical assistance.

After comprehensive examination and an MRI, doctors found a 'rapidly growing, 4-centimeter tumor' lodged in the back of her brain larger than a golf ball. Isabella swiftly underwent surgery to extract the tumor, followed by rehabilitation and six weeks of radiation therapy.

Having completed her surgery and radiation therapy, Isabella revealed plans to commence chemotherapy at the Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center in early February. She intends to detail her journey on her YouTube channel and hopes her experience will support Duke’s cancer center. She conveyed her optimism for the future and her eagerness for her therapy to finish.

'However, it remains terrifying due to the tremendous obstacles that lie ahead,' her father Michael expressed to Good Morning America, expressing how difficult it was to see his daughter go through this experience alone.

This article provides insight on medulloblastoma, the treatment processes, and crucial risk factors and symptoms.

Medulloblastoma is a central nervous system tumor typically found in the brain or spinal cord. These tumors commonly occur in the cerebellum - the part of the brain located at the back of the skull - and generally originate from the fetal cells present in the brain after birth.

A major issue with medulloblastoma is its swift growth and spread. Even though the cancer often originates in the brain, it can metastasize throughout the central nervous system, especially to the spinal cord.

Patients are categorized into four subtypes due to variables like the location of the medulloblastoma, its degree of spread, etc: WNT-activated, SHH-activated, Group 3, or Group 4. While these categories function well for pediatric patients, adult cases aren't as distinctly categorizable per the National Cancer Institute. However, the SHH-activated subtype seems to be the most ordinary in adults, accounting for about 60% of medulloblastoma cases.

Generally, adult cases of medulloblastoma aren't as well comprehended as pediatric cases. They comprise between 14% and 30% of all medulloblastomas, and the adults affected are typically younger, between 20 to 40 years old.

Though a rare tumor, with annual case reports ranging between 350 and 500, medulloblastomas account for 20% of all pediatric brain tumors. In contrast, they constitute 0.4% and 1% of all adult central nervous system tumors.

There is no definitive way to avoid medulloblastoma like most cancers. As per the National Cancer Institute, some medulloblastoma cases in children may be due to genetic mutations. Li-Fraumeni syndrome, nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, and turcot syndrome, all inherited diseases, have been tied to the development of medulloblastomas. In adults, however, no known cause exists. And in general, there are no clear risk factors or preventative measures people can take to avoid developing medulloblastoma.

Nevertheless, individuals can familiarize themselves with signs of a developing tumor. Depending on the tumor's location in the body, symptoms will vary. Those with a medulloblastoma in their cerebellum might have problems with balance or other fine motor difficulties.

If the tumor disrupts the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), individuals may experience increased pressure in their heads leading to hydrocephalus. This extra pressure could manifest as nausea, vomiting, headaches, confusion, or blurred vision.

If the medulloblastoma spreads to the spine, symptoms could include weakness in the limbs or spinal pain.

As is the case with Isabella, it's important to seek medical help if any of these symptoms are present. Medulloblastomas can be treated and the prognosis is usually good if caught early - the 5-year survival rate for these tumors is about 72%.

Though the cancer grows fast, in most cases medulloblastomas don’t spread outside the central nervous system. If possible, doctors will remove the tumor via surgery, and then depending on the patient, may recommend radiation or chemotherapy.

However, treatment can be a bit more complicated for adults—since there’s so few cases, trials on medulloblastoma treatment tend to be done in children. So treatments shown to be effective on kids are usually replicated on adults, though this isn’t ideal due to molecular and toxicity differences, a group of researchers said in a 2022 article. More research is needed to ensure all people with medulloblastoma are receiving ideal care.

As for Isabella, she hopes that her story can provide hope for people potentially going through similar situations.

'I hope to just kind of be a voice,' she said in her Good Morning America interview, '[someone] who people, maybe [those who] are going through chemotherapy or radiation can look at.'