An orthopedic (orthopaedic) oncologist is a physician and surgeon who specializes in the diagnoses and treatment of primary benign and malignant tumors of the bones. [1] This is considered a sub-speciality or component of orthopaedic surgery. [1] The specialist also will be involved in diagnosing, treating, and supporting or directing palliative care in people who are being treated for cancers involving the skeleton. Orthopedic oncologists often work alongside radiologists, pathologists, and other specialized oncologists and surgeons. [1]
An orthopedic oncologist in the United States must complete 4 years of medical school. Following graduation from medical school, the completion of an orthopedic surgical residency (medicine) is required. This residency program is typically 5 years in length and focuses on general orthopedic surgical techniques for common orthopedic injuries. As the residency progresses, the level of injury, disease and trauma treated by the resident becomes increasingly complex. By completion of the residency program, the orthopedic surgeon should be able to competently diagnose and treat a variety of injury and trauma to the bony structures of the body.
At this point, most orthopedic physicians become attending doctors specializing in general Orthopedic surgery. However, aspiring orthopedic surgeons who wish to sub-specialize in orthopedic oncology must complete an additional phase to their training known as a fellowship (medicine). A fellowship in orthopedic oncology general lasts an additional one to two years following the completion of the residency. During this time, the physician will learn in depth about the pathology and treatment of various forms of primary benign and malignant neoplasms of the bones and bony structures of the human body (any cancer which has originated from the bone, as opposed to cancers which originated from other organs and have secondarily spread, or metastasized, to the bones, which is much more common; these specialists deal mostly with primary bone tumors). The physician will study directly under an experienced attending orthopedic oncologist with one-on-one mentoring. The fellowship is designed to be an intense immersion into a complex medical topic.
Due to the relative rarity of primary bone tumor in relation to other forms of cancer, there are fewer than two hundred orthopedic oncologists practicing around the United States, nearly all of whom work in major urban teaching hospitals. While general orthopedic surgeons may be qualified to perform surgical intervention on these tumors, it is advisable when confronted with primary malignancy of the bone to seek out the treatment of an orthopedic oncologist, due to their increased knowledge and experience dealing with these rare and very serious tumors.
General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on alimentary canal and abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland. General surgeons also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft tissue, trauma, peripheral artery disease and hernias and perform endoscopic as such as gastroscopy, colonoscopy and laparoscopic procedures.
Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty that focuses on the surgical treatment or rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system, and cerebrovascular system. Neurosurgery as a medical specialty also includes non-surgical management of some neurological conditions.
Otorhinolaryngology is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the surgical and medical management of conditions of the head and neck. Doctors who specialize in this area are called otorhinolaryngologists, otolaryngologists, head and neck surgeons, or ENT surgeons or physicians. Patients seek treatment from an otorhinolaryngologist for diseases of the ear, nose, throat, base of the skull, head, and neck. These commonly include functional diseases that affect the senses and activities of eating, drinking, speaking, breathing, swallowing, and hearing. In addition, ENT surgery encompasses the surgical management of cancers and benign tumors and reconstruction of the head and neck as well as plastic surgery of the face, scalp, and neck.
Urology, also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the urinary system and the reproductive organs. Organs under the domain of urology include the kidneys, adrenal glands, ureters, urinary bladder, urethra, and the male reproductive organs.
Hematology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the production of blood and its components, such as blood cells, hemoglobin, blood proteins, bone marrow, platelets, blood vessels, spleen, and the mechanism of coagulation. Such diseases might include hemophilia, sickle cell anemia, blood clots (thrombus), other bleeding disorders, and blood cancers such as leukemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphoma. The laboratory analysis of blood is frequently performed by a medical technologist or medical laboratory scientist.
A radiation oncologist is a specialist physician who uses ionizing radiation in the treatment of cancer. Radiation oncology is one of the three primary specialties, the other two being surgical and medical oncology, involved in the treatment of cancer. Radiation can be given as a curative modality, either alone or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. It may also be used palliatively, to relieve symptoms in patients with incurable cancers. A radiation oncologist may also use radiation to treat some benign diseases, including benign tumors. In some countries, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are controlled by a single oncologist who is a "clinical oncologist". Radiation oncologists work closely with other physicians such as surgical oncologists, interventional radiologists, internal medicine subspecialists, and medical oncologists, as well as medical physicists and technicians as part of the multi-disciplinary cancer team. Radiation oncologists undergo four years of oncology-specific training whereas oncologists who deliver chemotherapy have two years of additional training in cancer care during fellowship after internal medicine residency in the United States.
A podiatrist is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. The term originated in North America but has now become the accepted term in the English-speaking world for all practitioners of podiatric medicine. The word chiropodist was previously used in the United States, but it is now regarded as antiquated.
A bone tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in bone, traditionally classified as noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Cancerous bone tumors usually originate from a cancer in another part of the body such as from lung, breast, thyroid, kidney and prostate. There may be a lump, pain, or neurological signs from pressure. A bone tumor might present with a pathologic fracture. Other symptoms may include fatigue, fever, weight loss, anemia and nausea. Sometimes there are no symptoms and the tumour is found when investigating another problem.
An osteosarcoma (OS) or osteogenic sarcoma (OGS) is a cancerous tumor in a bone. Specifically, it is an aggressive malignant neoplasm that arises from primitive transformed cells of mesenchymal origin and that exhibits osteoblastic differentiation and produces malignant osteoid.
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, and congenital disorders.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a surgical specialty focusing on reconstructive surgery of the face, facial trauma surgery, the mouth, head and neck, and jaws, as well as facial plastic surgery including cleft lip and cleft palate surgery.
Surgical oncology is the branch of surgery applied to oncology; it focuses on the surgical management of tumors, especially cancerous tumors.
Chondrosarcoma is a bone sarcoma, a primary cancer composed of cells derived from transformed cells that produce cartilage. A chondrosarcoma is a member of a category of tumors of bone and soft tissue known as sarcomas. About 30% of bone sarcomas are chondrosarcomas. It is resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Unlike other primary bone sarcomas that mainly affect children and adolescents, a chondrosarcoma can present at any age. It more often affects the axial skeleton than the appendicular skeleton.
Robert Lee "Bobby" Satcher Jr. is an American orthopedic surgeon, chemical engineer, and former NASA astronaut. He participated in two spacewalks during STS-129, accumulating 12 hours and 19 minutes of extravehicular activity. Satcher holds two doctorates and has received numerous awards and honors as a surgeon and engineer.
Foot and ankle surgery is a sub-specialty of orthopedics and podiatry that deals with the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of disorders of the foot and ankle. Orthopaedic surgeons are medically qualified, having been through four years of college, followed by 4 years of medical school or osteopathic medical school to obtain an M.D. or D.O. followed by specialist training as a resident in orthopaedics, and only then do they sub-specialise in foot and ankle surgery. Training for a podiatric foot and ankle surgeon consists of four years of college, four years of podiatric medical school (D.P.M.), 3–4 years of a surgical residency and an optional 1 year fellowship.
Orthopedic Sports Medicine is a subspecialty of orthopedic medicine and sports medicine. The word orthopaedic derives from "ortho" which is the Greek root for "straight" and "pais" which is the Greek root for child. During the early history of orthopaedic medicine, orthopaedists used braces, among other things, to make a child "straight."
Orchiectomy is a surgical procedure in which one or both testicles are removed. The surgery can be performed for various reasons:
Andrew C. Hecht is an American orthopaedic surgeon and a nationally recognized leader in surgery on the spine.
John H. Healey is an American cancer surgeon, researcher, and expert in the surgical treatment of benign and malignant bone tumors and other musculoskeletal cancers. He serves as Chair of the Orthopaedic Service and Stephen P. McDermott Chair in Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), as well as Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, in New York, NY.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to trauma and orthopaedics: