Sarcoma Awareness Month - July 2022

This July, let us understand how Sarcoma can affect children.

Yes, you read it right! Children can develop Sarcoma as well and at Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Bangalore, we have been successfully treating children with all types of sarcomas.

Sarcoma is a tumour that involves the bone / muscle / soft tissue component of the body. Children generally tend to develop bone tumours such as Ewing sarcoma or Osteosarcoma and tumours arising from muscle which is called Rhabdomyosarcoma (muscle tumour).

Here are some warning signs that indicate a swelling arising from a bone could mean the child should undergo further investigations for a proper diagnosis:

• A simple injury like a small fall or hitting against a piece of furniture that results in a fracture

• Swelling noticed after trauma

• Progressive increase in size of swelling

• Unsettling pain

• Cold / limp limb in the extremity involved

A bone tumour (Osteosarcoma, Ewing's Sarcoma) is suspected when a child presents with the above complaints and when an underlying infectious process is sufficiently ruled out. When detected early, there is a high chance of cure (including limb salvage) with good quality of life! Delay in detection can result in the spreading of cancer to the lung/bone/bone marrow which reduces the chance of cure by a large percentage!

We have come a long way in providing the best treatment for bone tumours or osteosarcomas from times when amputation was the only hope to cure. With the help of brachytherapy and limb salvage surgeries, many children are able to achieve a complete remission with less/no residual deformity.

At Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, our multidisciplinary team of paediatric medical oncologists, paediatric surgeons, ortho-oncology surgeons, radiation oncologists, physiotherapists and psychologists provide the best treatment to children with bone cancers. The hospital also understands that the cost of treatment for young children can add financial trauma to the family in addition to the emotional stress of seeing the child going through cancer treatment, to support the families Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation provides several aids such as financial subsidies ranging from discounts to completely free treatment, nutritional support, a special long-stay centre and in house school while maintaining the best quality of treatment.

For queries regarding child bone cancer treatment at Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Bangalore, please contact our highly experienced Paediatric Oncologists, Dr. Anand K C, Dr Tanushree Paul and Dr Aarthi M on: +91 6364464330 / 080- 26981065 / 080-26984461