Bedridden bone cancer patient walks again
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR MARCH13-19, 2020 47
THE NEW BRONX
CHAMBER of COMMERCE
invites you to attend
“Valiant Women of the Vote”
honoring JENNIFER RIVERA, KASIRER
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020
11:30 A.M. 2:00 P.M.
VILLA BARONE MANOR
737 Throggs Neck Expwy, Bronx, NY
Special Guest: ACTRESS/SINGER – LAYLA CAPERS
Chamber Members: $75 | Non-Members: $85 | Table of Ten: $700
Sponsorships Available
For more information call (718) 828-3900 or email us at events@bronxchamber.org
NYC Concilman
Mark Gjonaj
The
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Thousands of patients whose cancer
has spread to the bones could benefi
t from a new minimally invasive
approach to fi xing painful pelvic fractures,
according to a study conducted
by orthopedic oncology surgeons at
Montefi ore Health System.
If cancer spreads from the primary
location to the bones, it can
cause them to weaken and eventually
fracture. Pelvic fractures cause debilitating
pain and make it extremely
diffi cult to walk. Traditionally, surgeons
perform a total hip replacement
to reduce pain and improve quality of
life. While this approach is often successful,
it is major surgery and comes
with risks, including signifi cant blood
loss, extended time under anesthesia,
risk of infection, risk of dislocation
and the Orthopedic oncology surgeons
at Montefi ore are the fi rst to use
a novel approach called the “tripod”
technique, for patients with pelvic
lesions caused by cancer. This technique
uses multiple screws that are
placed through very small incisions,
connecting the damaged bones and
stabilizing the pelvis. It is called “tripod’
because the screws are placed in
a tripod confi guration to support the
socket of the hip joint.
“This approach goes against the
conventional notion that bone affected
by cancer is too weak and needs to be
completely replaced,” said lead author
Rui Yang, M.D., orthopedic surgeon,
Montefi ore, and assistant professor,
Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
“Our study shows that using this
technique means patients don’t need
to undergo a longer, more aggressive
surgery. They recover and go home
quicker, have less pain, and most importantly,
can resume therapies targeted
at treating their cancer.”
This project is part of a larger research
effort by the Division of Orthopaedic
Oncology that includes the
Musculoskeletal Oncology Research
Laboratory, which performs basic and
translational research as part of the
National Cancer Institute-designated
Albert Einstein Cancer Center. Their
projects focus on rare primary bone
and soft-tissue tumors, including osteosarcoma
and synovial sarcoma. In
addition, the Division of Orthopaedic
Oncology routinely participates in
a number of institutional and multicenter
clinical studies spanning various
aspects of orthopaedic oncology.
The doctors have presented their fi ndings
at several national and international
meetings, showing the “tripod”
technique is safe, effective, and extremely
well-tolerated by patients who
were bedridden, in wheelchairs or using
assistive devices to walk prior to
the procedure.
“We are pleased to fi nd this technique
results in better outcomes for
our patients,” said co-author David
Geller, M.D., orthopedic oncologist
and vice-chairman, Strategy and Innovation,
Orthopaedic Surgery, Montefi
ore and associate professor of Orthopedic
Surgery and Pediatrics,
Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
“And we are surprised to fi nd that despite
conventional wisdom, many of
our patients heal their fractures and
experience new bone growth.”
One patient who benefi tted from
the “tripod” technique is 58-yearold,
9/11 survivor, Nancy Toussaint.
Nancy, who is the caregiver for her
elderly parents, was running errands
one day when she felt her hips “shift.”
She managed the discomfort for a few
weeks but decided to seek medical
advice. Doctors discovered her pelvic
bone had fractured as the result
of cancer spreading throughout her
body. Nancy underwent the “tripod”
surgery in September to repair the
pelvic fracture and is now undergoing
cancer therapy.
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