Pediatric Sarcoma Support

Osteosarcoma is a tumor that arises from undifferentiated connective tissue and affects bones. Pathology is very common. Among all oncological diseases in the world, it ranks sixth in terms of detection frequency. It usually originates from a part of the bone, called metaphyseal, located at the transition section of the heads to the tubular central section. It is there that there are active growth and division of bone cells. The growth zone operates up to 25 years. Therefore, osteosarcoma mainly affects children and adolescents who grow rapidly (8 out of 10 cases).

Treatment of the disease

 Osteosarcoma treatment is always comprehensive. It begins with chemotherapy combining several drugs. Duration is approximately ten weeks. During this time, metastases die, and the size of the primary tumor shrinks. If cancer cells are sensitive to targeted therapy, then its use is more preferable and gives a higher chance of survival. After chemotherapy, surgery is performed. It can be of two types: complete amputation or partial. After surgery, chemotherapy is again performed. It’s twice as long as before surgery. Drugs destroy residual cells and finally eliminate the tumor.

Patient care

Many children were treated for sarcoma at Tel Aviv Medical Clinic. It may be helpful for you to talk to other patients or families who have had similar experiences. Please feel free to ask your child care team to arrange a conversation for you with some former patients and their families. We also offer a wide range of support programs that help children, family members and caregivers cope with several life problems during and after treatment.

Since cancer can affect children in different ways, we have a team of specialists who deal with the psychological and social needs of your child. These specialists offer assistance to our patients and their family members when dealing with a cancer diagnosis, supporting our therapeutic teams. Our psychological care team includes:

• Social workers;
• Specialists in child life;
• Teachers;
• Priests;
• Managers and support staff;
• Nurses;
• Physiotherapists and therapists;
• Nutrition experts;
• Psychiatrists;
• Specialists of integrative medicine;
• Patient Service Coordinators;
• Patient representatives.

In addition to our work with other groups in the clinic, we also enlist the support of external agencies, programs and organizations to meet the needs of our families.