case study

Case Study

BONE TUMOR SERIES:
The child who fought Bone cancer
5 year old Priya (Name changed) was diagnosed to have Ewing Sarcoma (Bone cancer) of the Femur (thigh) bone. She was investigated and confirmed to have the cancer restricted to the thigh bone. She under went chemotherapy where in the child recieved injections through multiple admissions to the hospital. Chemotherapy helped her by controlling and preventing the cancer from spreading. To cure the cancer from the thigh bone, her parents had to choose between Surgery versus Radiotherapy. They opted for Radiotherapy hoping that the child can be protected from the surgical morbidity. Priya underwent Radiation therapy and completed the Chemotherapy treatment. The whole treatment took nearly a year. She had to miss school and attend to hospital on a regular basis. Few months after completion of treatment, Priya’s parents noticed that the thigh was gradually becoming deformed and one day it broke with minor fall.

They consulted Dr Srinivas Chirukuri, Consultant Orthopaedic Oncosurgeon at Prakriya Hospital, Bangalore for an opinion. On investigations, it was found that the Femur bone was fractured as it had become weak due to the cancer and then the Radiotherapy. This part of the bone had to be replaced and reconstructed with a Titanium metal prosthesis which was specially custom made for her. Surgery was completed successfully and the child was made to walk initially with support of walker and later she could walk freely. With regular Physiotherapy and motivation Priya bounced back to normal life. She started going to school, play and have fun like other children. Priya is a brave child who inspite of all the mental and physical trauma, she withstood the difficulties and fought cancer. Her parents never gave up and did everything possible to save her. Priya is now free of cancer and she is expected to have normal life like other children.

Using different modalities of treatment, Bone cancer can be cured and limbs can be saved from amputation. With newer surgical techniques and availability of latest technologies, any part of the body can be reconstructed providing excellent quality of life.