Initially, the dentist thought the lump was related to her tooth. (representative picture)

A 16-year-old girl in the UK was sent home with antibiotics when a pea-sized lump appeared on her cheek. After the lump grew to the size of a tennis ball, she was diagnosed with a rare cancer. Within a few weeks.according to independentGaby Maurice was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer, in 2021 when she was 13 years old when she first discovered what was initially a pea-sized lump on her right cheek. Initially, the dentist thought the lump was related to her tooth, but as the swelling worsened, she was advised to see her general practitioner (GP).

“It started out like a little pea, but it got bigger and bigger every day,” the 16-year-old said, according to the outlet. “It started at the top and then started working its way down (my face) spread – after six weeks it was the size of a tennis ball,” she added.

After an ultrasound and biopsy, it was discovered the teen had rhabdomyosarcoma and she required treatment, including chemotherapy, which caused all her hair to fall out. Ms Gabi said chemotherapy was a “shock” to her body and she experienced side effects including extreme fatigue, nausea and hair loss, which left her feeling “insecure”.

“Your body doesn’t really know how to react to it. I couldn’t even walk to the bathroom without collapsing because it made my body feel so weak,” she said.

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The schoolgirl underwent multiple surgeries, including one that lasted 14 hours to remove the entire tumor, the outlet reported. Since then, her condition has gone into remission and “a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.”

Speaking about the impact of her own diagnosis, she added, “I’m proud of my scar because it shows what I went through – I fought cancer and I succeeded.”

Now, she’s back at school, although she still needs regular check-ups and scans. The 16-year-old said she felt like she was getting back to “normal” after missing a full year of school. She also revealed that she hopes to become a children’s oncology nurse and “give back” to other young cancer patients.