A TEEN who started rapidly losing weight was diagnosed with an “old man’s disease”.
Maliyah Hobbs was just 17 when she started suffering from the first signs of an aggressive cancer normally seen in elderly men.
Aside from losing weight, she also experienced severe abdominal pain, bladder pain, constipation, and night sweats.
But getting a diagnosis was a battle, with Maliyah, from Kentucky, saying: “Doctors in my hometown didn’t know what was wrong with me.
“I begged my primary care doctor for a referral to a gynaecologist, but he refused.
“Instead, he sent me to a liver specialist because of my blood work.
“And thank God he did. I call that doctor my saving grace.”
The specialist knew something was seriously wrong and referred Maliyah to a gynaecologist the same day.
The gynaecologist immediately performed an ultrasound and urged the teen to go to the ER – but even there, she was dismissed.
“They told me my abdomen was full of blood and ascites,” Maliyah recalled.
“They sent me home, but on the way, I got a call. A more experienced radiologist had read my report and thought I might have ovarian cancer.”
A biopsy showed she had ovarian cancer and she immediately began being treated for it.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”The signs and symptoms of cancer” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6365413210112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]“I thought I was going to die,” Maliyah, now 18, recalled.
“When they said stage 4, I knew it was serious. Then, they told me the chemotherapy would leave me infertile, and it crushed me. I had always dreamed of being a mum.
“I was given paclitaxel, a really strong chemo.
“The side effects were awful. Then, a few weeks later, they called to say it wasn’t ovarian cancer after all.
“It was peritoneal mesothelioma. And no one could believe it.”
Peritoneal mesothelioma is an incredibly rare cancer that affects the peritoneal cavity, typically caused by asbestos exposure. It is almost unheard of in young women.
“I knew it was an old man’s cancer,” Maliya said.
“I’d seen the commercials about asbestos. I thought, ‘How did I get this at 17?’”
After some research, Maliyah discovered that baby powder – which she’d used for years – had been linked to asbestos contamination.
‘Miracle’ cure
The teen was terrified and believed that as the cancer was stage 4, she was out of options.
“When the doctors told me there wasn’t much more they could do except manage my pain, I was devastated,” she says.
“I truly believed I was going to die.”
She went through brutal rounds of chemotherapy, trying multiple drug combinations, but nothing was working.
“IV chemo was horrible,” she says.
“I lost my hair, I gained weight, and I felt weak all the time. It took a toll on my mental health, too. I didn’t even recognise myself in the mirror.”
By October, her health was declining rapidly so Maliyah decided to stop IV chemo and take matters into her own hands.
[boxout headline=”What is peritoneal mesothelioma? “]Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that’s been linked to asbestos exposure.
It is also known as abdominal mesothelioma because it develops in the peritoneum, or the tissue lining the abdomen.
Common symptoms include abdominal pain and swelling, weight loss and nausea.
Asbestos exposure can involve a person inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibres. These fibres may enter the abdomen and become lodged in the peritoneum.
Over time, asbestos fibers may lead to mesothelioma tumors developing in the peritoneum.
The cancer may also spread to organs in the abdominal cavity, such as the stomach, intestines, kidneys and liver.
Peritoneal mesothelioma may not cause symptoms until it is fairly advanced.
These may include:
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal swelling
- Blood clotting
- Fever
- Inflammatory lesions
- Intestinal obstruction
- Nausea
- Night sweats
- Peritoneal fluid buildup
- Weight loss
Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy into the tummy or bloodstream, and supportive treatments to help control symptoms.
Sources: Cancer Research UK, Mesothelioma.com
“I found out that another 17-year-old had success with an ALK directed therapy,” Maliyah said.
“I asked my oncologist about it, and she didn’t hesitate to start me on it.”
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a gene that produces protein which is involved in cell growth.
Maliyah was placed on Lorbrena, an ALK inhibitor, and within a month, everything changed.
“I got a call from my oncologist while sitting in my living room,” she remembers.
“I was terrified to answer, but I did. He told me my cancer was gone. I felt this incredible warmth and chills all over my body. I knew in that moment it was a miracle.”
‘Never lose hope’
Despite being cancer-free, Maliyah still intends to undergo a full hysterectomy and HIPEC surgery – which involves delivering high doses of chemotherapy into the abdomen – in March as a precaution.
“The hardest part is knowing I won’t be able to have kids,” she said.
“That dream was taken from me. But I’m grateful to be here. Last month, I was on my deathbed, but God made a way.”
Throughout her journey, Maliyah’s faith and support system kept her going.
“My mum never left my side,” she said.
“She slept in a recliner while I was on the sofa, just in case I needed help. My aunt Melinda, and my family – Brooke, Tiffany, and Argie – took me to appointments and prayed for me.”
Maliyah has since shared her journey on TikTok, inspiring thousands, including Bailey Hutchins, a fellow cancer warrior who recently passed away.
“Bailey told me that my story inspired her,” Maliyah said.
“She was such an inspiration to me, too.”
Now cancer-free, Maliyah is determined to make every moment count.
“Surviving cancer makes you see life differently,” she said.
“It’s precious. It’s a gift. My message to anyone going through this is simple: doctors don’t have the last say. Never lose hope.”