Custody Battle Over Teen Continues as her Cancer Recurs

Agua Dolce fourteen year old Katie Wernecke developed cancer several years ago--a sad, but all too common story. She landed in the news only when her parents refused traditional treatment for the Hodgkin's disease, which would have required chemotherapy centered on her lymph nodes. Now, the cancer, once in remission, is back.

The state took Katie away from her parents and placed her in foster care, but while in state-mandated treatment at M.D. Anderson, Katie broke fasts and ripped out catheters and IVs in an attempt to retard the treatment she disagreed with. Returned to her parents in November 2005, Katie pursued alternative treatments including Vitamin C injections, and the family's website reported in October that the cancer was in remission.

Today, however, family spokesman Ed Wernecke, Katie's father, told the press that the cancer had recurred: a "large mass" has been found near Katie's lower ribs. He stated that both chemotherapy and radiation had failed, and the family would continue to pursue other avenues.

Recently, a judge in Virginia in a similar case upheld a minor-aged patient's right to refuse chemotherapy.

M.D. Anderson had no comment.