Clifton Student Rebuilds His Life After Proton Therapy for Spinal Tumor   

Clifton Student Rebuilds His Life After Proton Therapy for Spinal Tumor

Patient Steven with his family standing and smiling after successful cancer treatment.
Steven Sanjuan was among the millions of high school students forced to leave the classroom because of COVID-19 in early 2020. In lockdown, the 18-year-old from Clifton, New Jersey, sat at his computer for hours, trying to keep up with his classwork. Then, he began feeling lower-back pain that wouldn’t go away.
 
“He would tell me every day, ‘Mommy, this pain is terrible,’” says his mother, Milbia. “I knew it was something more than just sitting all day.”
 
Initially, Steven’s doctors thought he had scoliosis, an abnormal curving of the spine. But an MRI in 2022 revealed a large tumor on his spine, measuring approximately 12 centimeters.

“It was devastating,” Milbia says. “I never imagined that my son could have a tumor.”

Steven had emergency surgery to remove the tumor.
 
“The doctor told us that he’d be fine. He’d be able to walk again. He’s going to be able to play his favorite sport, and he’s going to have a normal life,” Milbia says. “The only thing she said is that his legs are going to be a little weak, and he will need physical therapy.”
 
But Steven’s legs were more than weak, Milbia says. They were in pain.
 
“When he woke up after surgery, he started to feel extreme pain in his right leg, like electricity,” she says. “And he couldn’t feel anything on his left leg.”
 

A Cancer-Fighting ‘Canon’

An MRI showed that some of the tumor was still in Steven’s spinal cord, causing the pain and numbness in his legs. That’s when they met with radiation oncologist Timothy Chen, M.D., medical director of the Central Nervous System program at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and director of proton therapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Hackensack Meridian Health.
 
 “If the surgeons had tried to remove more, it could have caused permanent paralysis,” Dr. Chen says.
 
Milbia and Dr. Chen noticed that Steven’s mental health was beginning to suffer. He turned inward, stopped meeting up with friends and no longer wanted to play sports, they say.
 
“My mission became to not just get rid of the tumor, but to rebuild his life,” Dr. Chen says.

In 2023, Steven began proton therapy through the John Theurer Cancer Center at the ProCure Proton Therapy Center in Somerset, NJ, under Dr. Chen’s care. Steven’s family opted for the specialized form of radiation treatment because of its ability to limit damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
 
“Proton therapy is strong, like a cannon, compared to traditional radiation, which is more like a pistol,” Dr. Chen says. “It allows us to target the tumor with incredible accuracy while protecting vital organs like the bowel and bladder.”
 
Additionally, proton therapy is easier to control. For instance, if you radiate a tumor in a patient’s back, the radiation will travel through to their front. But with proton therapy, doctors can set the exact depth of radiation.
 
Over five weeks, Steven underwent 30 15-minute proton therapy sessions. He had few side effects, only mild tiredness and slight skin redness. Most importantly, the therapy significantly shrunk the tumor. As a result, Steven’s pain lessened, and he regained some mobility.
 

Perseverance Leads to Progress

While the treatments have been transformative, the emotional toll on Steven has been profound. Once an avid soccer player, he now struggles with mobility and self-esteem. And because of the tumor’s position, nerves to his bladder were damaged, so Steven must use a catheter.
 
“Steven’s life has changed completely,” Milbia says.
 
Despite these challenges, Steven has shown remarkable perseverance. He graduated high school with the support of his teachers and is now excelling at Montclair State University, where he studies journalism and digital media.
 Teenage patient, Steven, smiling outside.
But Steven’s journey is far from over. He continues to have MRIs every three months to track the tumor. While he still faces many physical limitations, Dr. Chen remains optimistic about his future.
 
“The human body is resilient, especially in young people,” Dr. Chen says. “Steven has already made remarkable progress, and we’ll continue to support him every step of the way.”
 

Next Steps & Resources:

  • Meet our source: Timothy Chen, M.D.
  • Make an appointment with an oncologist or call 800-822-8905.     
  • Learn more about cancer care at Hackensack Meridian Health.
     
    The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.
 
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