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Local Teen Battles Rare Cancer

A River Valley teen is fighting for his life in a Houston hospital with a rare form of cancer. Marcus Goodnoh is a 17-year-old junior at Alma High School. ̶...

A River Valley teen is fighting for his life in a Houston hospital with a rare form of cancer.

Marcus Goodnoh is a 17-year-old junior at Alma High School.

"He has never been sick a day never," said Goodnoh’s mother Jodie.

His mother told 5NEWS that he's a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. She said on (March 6) her son’s life took a turn.

"It's shaped like a football,” said Jodie Goodnoh. “It goes straight from his liver down into his pancreas and scrotal area."

That football shape turned out to be a cancerous tumor. Marcus was then taken to Houston for extensive care still with no diagnosis. All the family knew was what he had was rare.

"It wasn't until the 17th of this month they had a diagnosis for it,” said Jodie Goodnoh. “They called it Sclerosing Epithelioid Fibrosarcoma."

The condition is also known as SEF.

"There only like 100 cases of it but out of 100 there are only 10 cases where his is in the abdomen," said Jodie Goodoh.

A brief visit home for prom and two chemo treatments later his family said the tumor slowly started shrinking.

Back in the River Valley his cousin said hope is high.

"At any sudden jar he could have died,” said cousin Amanda Snow. “It would have ruptured. Just pray for Marcus and hope that he gets better."

But with such little history of the cancer concern remains high for the Goodnoh family.

“We just got our fingers crossed and praying every day,” said Jodie Goodnoh.

With prayers continuing to come in the family said their mission is to have Marcus back at home soon.

A benefit concert is scheduled for May 10 at Warren’s Rec Room in Alma at 4 p.m.

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