Pediatric Orthopaedic Oncology

Advanced Techniques to Treat Bone and Soft Tissue Cancers in Children

The orthopaedic oncology team at Loyola Medicine helps pediatric and adult patients who have malignant or benign tumors of the bones and soft tissues, including the extremities, pelvis, spine, sternum and chest wall.

Our experienced pediatric orthopaedic oncology team focuses on treating children and adolescents. We will create a treatment plan tailored for your child’s condition using the most current medical techniques.

Your child’s board-certified doctors work as part of an integrated team that includes orthopaedic surgeons, general surgeons, neurosurgeons and cardiothoracic surgeons—along with radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, musculoskeletal radiologists and pathologists who specialize in bone and soft tissue tumors.

Why Choose Loyola for Pediatric Orthopaedic Oncology?

Loyola is committed to the compassionate diagnosis and care of our youngest patients with orthopaedic tumors. Loyola’s pediatric oncology team is specially trained in the treatment of children and provides care in a compassionate, family-friendly environment. We will carefully explain your child’s condition and every treatment option we recommend.

Despite the rarity of osteosarcoma (cancerous tumor arising in bone), Loyola’s pediatric orthopaedic oncology team is highly skilled and experienced in treating this form of cancer. Loyola’s orthopaedic oncology team is at the forefront of medicine, actively seeking new methods of treatment for patients with bone tumors.

Pediatric Orthopaedic Oncology Conditions Treated at Loyola

Tumors can develop when cells in the body divide and multiply, eventually creating a mass of tissue. Most tumors of the bone and soft tissue are benign (not cancerous) and do not spread.

Loyola treats both benign and malignant tumors of the extremities and pelvis, including the following conditions:

How are Orthopaedic Tumors Diagnosed in Children?

Children with bone or soft tissue tumors may experience pain and swelling. The goal of Loyola’s pediatric orthopaedic oncology team is to provide a diagnosis and a comprehensive treatment plan for your child as soon as possible.

In order to determine if your child has a bone or soft tissue tumor, or to understand a tumor more fully, your child’s doctor will conduct testing that may include:

• X-ray
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
• CT scan (computed tomography)
• Bone scan
• PET scan
• Tumor biopsy
• Lab evaluation (blood work)

How are Pediatric Orthopaedic Tumors Treated?

Your child’s orthopaedic oncology team will fully evaluate your child’s condition before making treatment recommendations. Recommended treatment options will depend on whether the tumor is cancerous or not, where it is located and whether it has metastasized (spread).

Your child’s healthcare team at Loyola will discuss comprehensive treatment options with you, discussing your concerns and answering any questions you may have. Whenever possible, your child’s doctor will recommend conservative treatments. If this approach does not properly treat your child’s condition, surgical options may be considered.

We will develop a customized treatment plan, which may include the following techniques:

• Surgical resection (limb salvage and amputation options)
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy

If your child is a cancer patient at Loyola, he or she may also be able to participate in clinical trials that frequently are not available at other medical centers. In these trials, patients gain access to the most recent classes of medications while helping researchers determine the best treatments of the future.