Also known as: Abdominal cancer
Pastor Clarence has a metastatic sarcoma with a tumor pressing on his spine causing severe pain. The tumor and lymph nodes spontaneously regress during the episode, presenting as a potential medical miracle that the team cannot explain scientifically.
Also known as: Brain tumor
Sadie presents with numbness in hands and feet after mountain climbing and a sense of impending doom. Initially diagnosed with an advanced malignant meningioma, but Shaun discovers the actual diagnosis is sparganosis (a parasitic worm infection) mimicking a brain tumor, which is curable.
Also known as: Brain worm infection
Shaun correctly diagnoses sparganosis after discovering Sadie ate at a restaurant with poor food safety practices and takes acid blockers, allowing a fish parasite to survive and encapsulate in her brain. This diagnosis saves her from unnecessary palliative care for what was believed to be terminal cancer.
Also known as: Compressed spinal cord
Clarence's tumor is pressing on his spinal cord causing severe pain. The surgical team performs a risky tumor resection without spinal fusion per his religious wishes, resulting in spinal shock during the first attempt.