Ramakrishna Hospital & SRIOR help girl overcome lethal bone cancer

Anxious young parents walked into orthopedic surgeon’s out patient department of Sri Ramakrishna Hospital (SRH) with their 9 year old daughter for a swelling in the left thigh in month of March 2021. She underwent evaluation and was found to have Ewing’s sarcoma of the left thigh bone which has not spread to rest of the body.

The girl went through 3 cycles of chemotherapy and was re-evaluated in June 2021. Her tumour had reduced in size well. Her next treatment was surgery to remove the diseased bone.

Contrary to the norm of bone resection and replacement with metal prosthesis, the long length of bone that had to be removed and her age posed a challenge. So the concept of removing the affected bone and irradiating it and placing the same bone inside (Extra corporeal radiotherapy) was planned. The young cancer warrior underwent the surgery on 10.7.2021 by the combined oncology – orthopedic team of Sri Ramakrishna Hospital.

Radiation to the bone with sterile precautions was done by the Radiation Oncologists of Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology and Research (SRIOR). The patient was discharged on 10th post operative day with non weight bearing ambulation.

Though tumour resection with replacement with metallic prosthesis for bone tumours are being done since its inception by SRIOR, it is one of the latest, novel in the region that, extra corporeal radiotherapy has been done.

These surgeries help patients to avoid amputation. Team effort of Oncosurgeons Dr.Karthikesh, Dr.Bhargavi, Orthopedisurgeon Dr.Mohan, Dr.Gokul, Radiation oncologist- Dr.Karthika, Dr.Krishnapriya, Dr. Vivek, Anaesthesiologist Dr.GB Sundarraj, Medical oncologist with valuable inputs and direction by Dr.P Guhan, Director, SRIOR have combinedly helped the patient to walk back home with much ease.