A Chincoteague, Va., teenager who won the right to choose his own cancer treatment in court is responding positively to the therapy, his doctor has said.
Dr. Arnold Smith, who was appointed by the court to monitor 16-year-old Abraham Cherrix's health, said the tumors in the teenager's neck and chest have shrunk, The Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot reported Tuesday.
Cherrix and his parents won a court battle brought by social workers who accused his family of medical neglect for choosing an alternative treatment program. As a result of the case, Cherrix and his family agreed to try a variation of the treatment plus radiation therapy from a board-certified doctor.
Smith said six weeks of radiation and intravenous medication treatments have had positive effects in fighting back Cherrix's Hodgkin's disease, a lymphatic cancer. He was also put on a special diet including immune system-boosting supplements.
"The tumors are much smaller, and we expect them to shrink more," Smith said.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
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