Ryan's Story
Childs Name: Ryan Cartafalsa
Parents Name: Trish and Ben Cartafalsa
Mailing Address: 110 Stanton Rd
Havertown, PA 19083
Emails: TrishCarto@comcast.net; BCartafalsa@comcast.net
Website:
Diagnosis: Anaplastic Ependymoma
Date Of Diagnosis: 6/8/2010
Childs Age At Diagnosis: 22 months
Summary Of Treatment Plan Protocol: total resection followed by 2 rounds of chemotherapy and 33 proton radiation treatments.
Proton Center: Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine - CHOP
Pediatric Radiation Oncologist: Robert Lustig
Number Of Proton Treatments Total Dose: 33
Dates Of Proton: sept 2010 - october 15 2010
Insurance Carriers: Independence Blue Cross
How Did You Learn About Proton Treatment: Neuro-Oncology doctors at CHOP
Story: It all happened so unbelievably fast.
On the Friday before Memorial Day 2010, Trish Cartafalsa noticed that her 2-year-old son, Ryan, was having problems with his balance. Less than a week later, he was diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor and having it removed at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Like many children with brain tumors, Ryan needed radiation treatment in addition to surgery. His oncologist, Jean B. Belasco, MD, explained to Trish and her husband, Ben, that Ryan was a good candidate for proton therapy, an advanced form of radiation available through the Cancer Center at CHOP.
As of October 2011 Ryan's MRI's have all been clear and he is now being monitored every 6 months.