Doctor Aleksandar Đorđević-orthopedic specialist – oncologist who performs successfully very complex operations in Atlas General Hospital spoke here about sarcomas. How medicine improved in oncology branch, how medical treatments are performed and what are the statistics about these kind of diseases.
Bone and soft tissue sarcomas or other types of cancer-what are the differences?
Orthopedic oncology is practically malignancy of connective tissue. Generally types of tissues in the body are epithelial and connective. Epithelial tissues are practically all organs and tumors on them are carcinomas, while tumors on connective tissue we call sarcomas. Statistically sarcomas most often occur in young people. Osteosarcomas are one of the most often seen tumors of the solid tissue beside kidneys and central nervous system in children, says dr Aleksandar Đorđević.
Are there advances in treatment of osteosarcoma?
Percent of cured people is dramatically increasing, so depending of type of sarcoma we can speak about two thirds of cured. I do not speak about five years life extension, but about the permanent cure.
How important is team work
Oncological principles are the same everywhere. There is no cure if patient is treated only by one person. Treatment of each malignancy requires team approach – in the first place are hematologist oncologist, then radiation therapist and surgeons. Also, inevitable part of our oncology team is pathologist whose diagnosis can not be questioned. Misdiagnosis always takes therapy to the wrong direction.
How does team work look like in these kind of health issues
We had one patient recently from abroad that suffered from some kind of extensive sarcoma. He was patient to all referent oncologic institutions in Europe and the only institution that was willing to perform the operation was the Munich clinic. However, he decided to be operated in our institution. It was very demanding intervention. During this intervention we performed the resection of tumor with huge haemorrhage and reconstruction of huge defect of stomach wall and thoracic wall. The most important thing for me was very special care of our anesthesia team that was beside the patient every second of his recovery. It takes courage to operate someone who is on the edge of operable and inoperable medical condition. It was indeed a great triumph of team work.
How to recognize symptoms and moment when exactly to contact a doctor?
We are all hypochondriacs, we doubt on every symptom and we create tragedy out of it regardless the fact whether we are doctors or not. Most often these symptoms do not have any objective cause. When symptoms last for some time, when it is progressive and when it leads to functional disorder should worry us and lead us to the doctor’s office. It is very important close contact with the family and friends, that should see objective problem.
