In September of 2005, when he was just 16 years old, Stephen was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer. All Testicular Cancer is treated as malignant (spreading). Stephen was scheduled immediately for surgery which was to take place in October. We prayed that God would intervene and help us get him an earlier appointment. A couple days later, we got a call saying the surgery was moved up to September 30^th

The day of the surgery was a hard day for all of us as we waited and prayed. When the surgery was over the urologist told us he was very happy how the surgery went. He was confident from what he could see that the cancer was localized and he felt that he had got it all. We were told that we would know more when the pathology report came back.

We went back a week later to see the urologist to find out about the results of the pathology report. The cancer was malignant but it appeared to have been localized only in the testicle and had not spread. We were then sent to have a CT Scan done. The results came back showing no signs of the cancer spreading. We were then referred to the Oncology department at our local hospital. When we went for our appointment there the Oncologist informed us that everything looked good but because of Stephen’s age they were referring us to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

A couple weeks later we had an appointment at the Oncology Department at the Hospital for Sick Children. We had some tests done including blood tests which showed that the tumor markers were back to normal. Stephen’s cancer was what is called a mixed germ cell tumor, which basically is three different types of cancer. Two of the types show in the tumor markers of the blood test, the third type is diagnosed with a CT Scan. Everybody has these cells lying dormant in their bodies from birth which is normal. It is only when they begin growing that they turn cancerous.

Sick Kids reviewed the pathology report and the CT Scan that was done at our local hospital as well as their own test results. They also felt that the cancer was localized and classified it as Stage 1 cancer.

According to Ontario law since Stephen was 16 years old he had to make the final decision and sign consent for his own treatment. He was given two choices. One was to undergo chemotherapy treatments and the second one was to closely monitor him on a regular basis. The consensus of the Oncology department at Sick Kids, as well as Stephen’s own Oncologist was that close monitoring would be the best option. This is what Stephen also decided to do. They try to avoid chemotherapy if at all possible because of the side effects that can affect you many years later. In Stephen’s case chemotherapy seemed unnecessary. We were assured that if they did find later on that it was beginning to spread they could then do chemotherapy.

Normally they would have had Stephen come back to have a CT Scan done in 3 months but for some unknown reason his Oncologist scheduled him to come back in 1 ½ months. We had the CT Scan done on Thursday December 15^th. That same day we received a call from Stephen’s Oncologist telling us he had the preliminary results of Stephen’s CT Scan and they weren’t good. He told us the cancer was back and had spread to his lymph nodes and both lungs. They told us that he must start chemotherapy as soon as possible. Stephen’s cancer was extremely aggressive and had gone from stage 1 to stage 4 in approximately 1 ½ months. Stage 4 is the final stage. The Oncologist said it was lucky Stephen had the CT Scan done 1 ½ months early because since the cancer was so aggressive who knows how far it would had spread if we had waited the full 3 months. This wasn’t a matter of luck. We know that God was watching over him.

We had an appointment to see the Oncologist first thing the next morning to discuss Stephen’s treatments. Stephen was to undergo 4 cycles of chemotherapy. Each treatment would involve a high dose combination of three different types of chemo drugs. Stephen would be admitted to the hospital cancer ward for 6 days each month for the next 4 months to receive the 4 cycles of treatments. Each cycle would consist of receiving his chemo through IV for 24 hours a day for 5 days straight and then staying an additional day to be re-hydrated. He would then have to return to the hospital 2 days after he is discharged to receive a dose of outpatient chemo for a couple hours.

After seeing the Oncologist on Friday, we were back Monday to have some tests done and for Stephen to have surgery to install a PICC line in his arm through which he would receive his chemo. A PICC line is a tube that is threaded surgically through the major vein in your arm by using a CT Scan to guide the surgeon and it stops in the artery just above your heart. This would be in his arm for 6 months. This is done because otherwise the chemo would burn out the veins.

The next day Stephen was admitted to the hospital to start his first cycle of chemo. We spent that Christmas in the children’s cancer ward at Sick Kids.

For the next few months Stephen had many trips to the hospital emergency room and was admitted for various problems such as infections, fever, a blood clot, an extremely severe drug reaction and being neutropenic. Neutropenia is a very serious condition caused by the chemo which destroys your blood platelets and white cells. When these are critically low any type of infection, including the common cold, could be potentially fatal. For the next few months a home care nurse came to the house to flush his PICC line and give him a needle to prevent more blood clots.

Stephen responded extremely well to the chemotherapy. After the 4 cycles of chemo were done, CT Scans showed a couple very small spots on his left lung. The doctors weren’t sure if they were cancerous or just scar tissue. The doctors felt it was necessary to do biopsies because of the extremely aggressive nature of Stephen’s cancer. They didn’t want to take any chances so Stephen had 2 biopsies done about 2 weeks apart. He had to stay in the hospital for about a week after the second one to make sure his lung wouldn’t collapse and to heal. Both biopsies showed the spots to be non-cancerous; just scar tissue. Stephen was declared cancer free.

It has now been a year since his last cycle of chemo and he has checkups every 3 months which include CT Scans, Bone Scans and blood tests. Thankfully all his tests show no signs of cancer.

He experiences episodes of pain every now and again which the doctors think are because of either the steroids he was on during his treatments or the result of a very severe reaction he had to another drug. One of these two things or a combination of both has caused some bone damage which is responsible for the pain. We believe God will also heal Stephen of this pain.

Stephen is doing well and will be attending college in the fall of 2007.

The doctors were very surprised with the outcome of Stephen’s case because his cancer was so aggressive. However, with God all things are possible.

Our family would like to thank all the congregations of the various churches and everyone else who prayed for Stephen’s healing. We can’t express our gratitude for all the prayers for Stephen.

Satan tried to strike Stephen down but God turned it around for His Glory.

“I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” Psalm 91:2 NIV

“’Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name, He will call upon me, and I will answer him;’” Psalm 91:14-15 NIV

Praise be to God!

Always remember prayer changes things!!!

The Malcolm family.