CASTAIC GIRL FIRST TO RECEIVE NEW CANCER TREATMENT.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

A Castaic 5-year-old battling a stubborn cancer underwent a new treatment on Tuesday - the first patient ever to receive a therapy that hits its target while sparing surrounding bones and organs.

If the treatment, developed by two doctors at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and approved by the federal government two weeks ago, is successful, Thursday's hospital visit could mark the last leg of cancer treatments Melissa Manahan has faced since birth.

``Melissa is the first patient in the world to be treated this way,'' Dr. Robert Lavey said. ``We just hope it will leave her as healthy as possible and eradicate the tumor.''

The new treatment, developed by Lavey and Dr. Arthur Olch, uses a computer to pinpoint the cancerous germ cell tumor pressing on Melissa's hip and pelvis and blast it with a high dose of radiation, while sparing her bones and organs.

``Melissa's tumor has come back three times in three years, and high- dose chemotherapy has done nothing to stop it, and unless we do, it will spread to other organs,'' Lavey said. ``We already know nothing else works.''

Radiation has long been known to be an effective cancer treatment, but its side effects - bone degeneration and organ damage - have limited its usefulness, Lavey said.

Melissa, wearing a Winnie the Pooh bandage for good luck, will undergo the 10-minute radiation therapy every day for nine days and go home with her parents every night.

In two weeks, doctors will be able to tell if the radiation is having any damaging side effects, Lavey said. Doctors will monitor Melissa during the next year to measure the treatment's effect on the tumor.

Melissa also is undergoing her third round of chemotherapy, Lavey said. She was diagnosed with cancer at birth, but the disease has not yet spread to other parts of her body.

``This treatment is much easier on the patients when compared with chemotherapy,'' Lavey said.

Wearing a floppy denim hat and a long-sleeved ``Rugrats'' T-shirt, Melissa knew the drill on Thursday as she prepared for treatment. She kissed her mom, Elaine, and went with the doctors and therapists in the long white coats.

Melissa played with an interactive Barney doll, laughing and following the purple dinosaur's prompts as five different X-ray beams attacked her tumor. Afterward, she chose a neon-colored flower sticker to match the flowers on her hat.

``Its totally painless, just like a regular X-ray,'' Lavey said. ``The dosage is just much higher.''

Melissa is being home-schooled by her mom, who said she loves to draw and sing, and longs to learn how to swim. Because of her illness, which already has cost Melissa parts of her tailbone, she has only been able to dangle her feet in the water.

``Hopefully, this summer,'' her mom said, ``Melissa can swim in Castaic Lake.''