When you think about cancer, you likely think of such cancers as breast, lung, colon and skin cancers. However, there’s another kind of cancer you may not know about until you’re directly impacted: orthopedic cancer.
Orthopedic cancers or benign orthopedic tumors affect the bones or the soft tissue. Because these conditions are so uncommon, there aren’t many orthopedic cancer and tumor specialists.
Practicing in the heart of Scottsdale, our orthopedic cancer specialists service the entire state of Arizona, as well as neighboring communities in Nevada, California, New Mexico and Utah. They treat complex orthopedic cancers, soft tissue cancers or tumors, benign bone tumors and more.
“There’s really just a handful of us, including Dr. Matthew Seidel and myself,” says Judd Cummings, MD, an orthopedic oncologist at HonorHealth Orthopedics - Shea along with Dr. Seidel.
Secondary and primary bone cancers
When someone is diagnosed with bone cancer, it’s usually a secondary diagnosis.
“About 95% of the time, these patients have a common cancer diagnosis that has spread to the bone,” says Dr. Cummings.
When a primary cancer like breast or lung cancer moves into the bones, a patient may experience bone pain, swelling, weakened bones that break easily or reduced mobility. They may also experience unexplained weight loss and fatigue.
The other much less common type of bone cancer is primary bone cancer, which actually starts in the bone.
“This only accounts for around 1% of cancer diagnoses,” notes Dr. Cummings. “It’s really quite uncommon.”
Primary bone cancer most commonly affects the arms, legs or pelvis. Depending on the type of bone cancer someone has, the cancer cells will produce either bone or cartilage.
“This kind of cancer tends to affect people in the sixth or seventh decades of their lives, as well as pediatric populations,” Dr. Cummings adds.
There are also benign tumors of the bone, so it’s important to see a specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment if you are experiencing bone growths or pain.
Sarcoma: Cancer of the soft tissue or bone
Another kind of orthopedic cancer is soft tissue sarcoma. This can develop in soft tissues around the body like muscle, fat, blood vessels, nerves, fibrous tissues or deep skin tissues.
“Soft tissue sarcomas are very rare,” explains Dr. Seidel. “There are only about 2,500 diagnosed each year in this country compared to the several million cases of breast cancer or prostate cancer diagnosed every year. Because we are a clinic focused on this type of tumor, they are relatively common in our practice.”
In general, soft tissue tumors need to be removed surgically and treated with radiation either before or after surgery. Occasionally, or if the tumor has spread, they will also be treated with chemotherapy.
Sarcoma can also occur in the bone.
“Sarcoma in the bone is even more rare than the soft tissue sarcomas, and approximately 1,200 primary bone sarcomas are diagnosed every year,” Dr. Seidel says.
Osteosarcoma, a cancer of the bone, is generally diagnosed during the second decade of life. Chondrosarcoma is a different cancer that originates in the bone but is made of cancerous cartilage cells. This type of cancer is generally diagnosed later in life when patients are in their 50s or 60s.
“Both of these require surgical resection of the bone, and because they often occur very close to a joint, we generally either perform a knee replacement or a hip replacement when removing these.”
In most cases, these rare orthopedic cancers do not have any direct cause. In some very rare circumstances, they can be related to a genetic mutation. In a few patients, soft tissue sarcomas are secondary to radiation exposure. Most soft tissue and bone sarcomas are well described as sporadic, meaning there was a genetic mutation that occurred in one area of a patient's body not related to an overall genetic problem.
Partnering on diagnosis and treatment
Since many orthopedic cancers are secondary, a lot of patients who come see Dr. Cummings and Dr. Seidel are already undergoing cancer treatment for their primary cancer.
“When someone has a cancer like that, it really does require a multidisciplinary approach to treatment,” explains Dr. Cummings.
Our orthopedic oncologists work in collaboration with a patient’s entire care team, and any specialists who may be providing them care, to provide the best outcomes possible.
Since most orthopedic cancers require surgery, an orthopedic oncologist has expertise both in treating cancer and in orthopedic surgical care and is uniquely qualified to help minimize damage to the bone and help people maintain their ability to walk and engage in weight-bearing activities.
“We help ensure that patients don’t lose function when they’re dealing with cancer that has spread to the bone,” notes Dr. Cummings, who also specializes in adult joint reconstruction surgery.
Finding inspiration
Dr. Cummings enjoys the moments when he gets to let patients know that what they thought was cancer actually isn’t. Of course, that’s not always the case, and he and Dr. Seidel often help walk patients through their cancer journey.
“The way we look at it is we have an opportunity to help people through a really difficult time in their lives,” Dr. Cummings says. “I’m often inspired by the courage we see in the way people battle and fight. I think we are benefitted as much or possibly more from treating these patients than the other way around.”