In 2023, when Françoise was 18 months old, her mother, Claudie, noticed a small pink spot on her left elbow. She decided to talk to her pediatrician about it, just to be on the safe side. A series of tests, appointments, and specialist consultations followed, until Sainte‑Justine’s teams had a diagnosis: malignant spitzoid nodular melanoma, an extremely rare form of cancer.
Françoise is one of a kind.
- Her loved ones describe her as lively, bright-eyed, and courageous.
- Hers is one of about 60 pediatric cases of malignant spitzoid nodular melanoma recorded in the world, and one of just 17 cases in the history of the Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau du CHU Sainte‑Justine.
- Despite only a 5% chance of this occurring, the cancer spread to her lymphatic system.
- Within Sainte‑Justine’s walls and beyond, teams joined forces to provide Françoise with care that’s as unique as her condition—and as one-of-a-kind as she is.
Experts working together to meet the challenge
As soon as the diagnosis was confirmed, every effort was made to provide Françoise with exceptional care. Pediatric surgeon Dr. Nelson Piché took a collaborative approach in order to draw on the specialized expertise of his colleagues in dermatology, nuclear medicine, and ortho-oncology, and provide this little girl with the best possible care.
When imaging revealed that her lymph nodes might be affected, Dr. Piché brought a team of experts together to perform a sentinel lymph node biopsy, a procedure rarely performed on children. Then, when it was time to remove the tumour from Françoise’s elbow, he worked with Dr. Andrée-Anne Roy, a pediatric plastic surgeon, to perform a skin graft and ensure minimal scarring.
I did everything I could to get the best care for this family.
Because malignant spitzoid nodular melanoma are so rare in children, pediatric hematologist-oncologist Dr. Monia Marzouki had to adapt treatments developed for adults to Françoise’s faster metabolism. She opted for non-invasive immunotherapy—an innovative approach stemming from research knowledge that is changing the way certain cancers are being treated at the Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau du CHU Sainte‑Justine and enabling its teams to provide more tailored and efficient care.
Extraordinary cases like Françoise’s require an equally extraordinary level of expertise and a shared commitment to working together in the face of adversity.
Françoise is thriving, thanks to you
Today, Françoise is in remission and living life to the fullest, thanks to the teams at Sainte‑Justine and kind-hearted people like you who support their work.
To me, growing beyond means watching a child grow up: Without research, many wouldn’t have the same life expectancy. It also means setting ambitious goals to push ourselves and provide the best care for children like Françoise.
