Kelley Mack's Glioma battle: A 'Walking Dead' star's tragic story

Kelley Mack, The Walking Dead actress revealed her health issues in January on her Instagram handle after being diagnosed with malignancy.

She first experienced symptoms of cancer as persistent ‘back pain’ but later was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in September last year: Glioma cancer.

She couldn’t foresee it, as she looked fine when she posted a thumbs-up from a hospital bed, Kelley wrote, "She had suffered from persistent lower back pain that she first assumed was a result of a ‘slipped disc’ problem."

Muscle Pain and Cancer: Separating Fact from Fiction

Many people worry that muscle pain can lead to cancer, but experts say this is rarely the case.

Muscle pain is usually caused by overuse, strain, injury, poor posture, or conditions like fibromyalgia or viral infections.

If you’re experiencing persistent or severe muscle pain, it’s better to consult your doctor to determine the underlying cause. Here are some common signs you need to worry about:

• Persistent or severe muscle pain
• Swelling or lumps
• Unexpected weight loss
• Limited trauma or injury

Inside details of the tragic story of Kelley Mack: From misdiagnosis to tragic end!

Following persistent lower back pain, which was also accompanied by itching caused by nerve pain in the front of her right thigh, Mack then revealed that she was suffering from paralysing pain in her legs and back too.

The pain becomes unbearable that she was forced to sleep in a recliner for a month, as lying down for her was unbearable.

Later, Chicago Med actress wrote, that an emergency MRI was conducted on her, which found an ‘abnormal mass’ on her spinal cord.

This is the time when Kelley revealed that she was diagnosed with diffus midline glioma, a rare form of cancer that starts as tumours in the brain or spine, according to the National Cancer Institute.

What is midline glioma?

According to the National Cancer Institute, U.S., a diffus midline glioma (DMG), formerly called a diffus intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), is an aggressive brain tumour that develops in the central areas of the brain, such as the brainstem, thalamus, and spinal cord.

It affects children and young adults, but it can also appear in adults.

A major warning sign of DMG is a muttation in the histone H3 gene (H3 K27M) that plays a contributing role in how tumour forms and progresses over time.

How lethal can glioma be to a person?

As per the Mayo Clinic, glioma is a growth of cells that starts in the brain or the spinal cord.

These cells in glioma look like healthy brain cells called glial cells, and they surround nerve cells and help them function.

When the glioma frows, it forms a mass of cells called a tumour that can grow to press on brain or spinal cord tissue and cause symptoms that depend on which part of the brain or spinal cord is affected.

Survival rate?

The median survival time for the entire patient group was 33.3 months, with overall survival rates ranging from 92.9 percent, 75.4 percent, and 45.0 percent at 1 year, 2 year, and 3 years, respectively.

Symptoms of midline glioma, a rare type of cancer

Signs and symptoms may vary depending on the tumour.

Here are the most common symptoms below:

• A headache, particularly one that hurts the most in the morning
• Nausea and vomiting
• Confusion or memory loss
• Personality changes or mood disorders
• Vision problems
• Peripheral vision
• Seizures, especially in someone who hasn’t had seizures before.

So, always consult your physician at the earliest if you experience any of the signs and symptoms. Life is beautiful in every form, don’t let ignorance make it difficult for yourself and your loved ones!