At 24, TikToker Bella Bradford dies of rhabdomyosarcoma: All about this rare cancer

24-year-old TikTok star Bella Bradford announced her death in a video released posthumously. She was suffering from a rare cancer - rhabdomyosarcoma - which forms in the body's muscle tissue.

In Short

• TikTok star Bella Bradford died from rhabdomyosarcoma
• It is a rare type of cancer that affects the muscle tissue
• This cancer is often diagnosed during childhood

Bella Bradford, an Australian TikTok star, died on October 15 from a rare type of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. She had announced her death in a pre-recorded video during her treatment journey, calling it her last 'Get Ready with Me'.

"I have terminal cancer and unfortunately, by now, my life has come to an end, and I’ve passed away. But I wanted to do one final ‘Get Ready with Me’ because I love doing these, and I love fashion. Thank you for following me on this fun journey," she said in the eleven-minute video, according to a report published by The Independent.

WHAT IS RHABDOMYOSARCOMA?

Bella, 24, suffered from rhabdomyosarcoma, which is a rare type of cancer that can grow anywhere in the body but more likely in the head and neck area, urinary system such as the bladder, the vagina, uterus and testes or arms and legs.

According to the American Cancer Society, rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of sarcoma made of cells that normally develop into muscles that we control to move parts of our body.

Before birth, cells known as rhabdomyoblasts, which will later develop into skeletal muscles, start to form.

These cells have the potential to become rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Since this cancer originates in immature muscle cells, it is far more common in children, though it can occasionally affect adults as well.

The US National Cancer Institute suggests that this type of cancer can appear also because of certain genetic conditions or inherited diseases like Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Noonan syndrome, and Costello syndrome, among others.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Symptoms of rhabdomyosarcoma can occur depending on where the cancer is located. If it is in the head and neck area, symptoms include headaches, bleeding in the nose, throat or ears. One can also experience tearing or swelling of the eyes.

If the cancer appears in the urinary or reproductive system, then a person could experience a mass or bleeding in the vagina or rectum, have trouble urinating or seeing blood in the urine and have trouble with their bowel movements.

Swelling or lump and pain appear if cancer is in the arms or legs.

HOW IS IT TREATED?

Rhabdomyosarcoma can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. New types of treatment like immunotherapy and targeted therapy are being developed to help patients recover faster.

Each treatment type depends on where the cancer is located and which stage it is in.