Orthopedic oncologist

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An orthopediconcologist or orthopaedic oncologist is a physician and surgeon who specializes in the diagnoses and treatment of primary benign and malignant tumors of the bones. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Education

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.

Specializations

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.

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General surgery Medical specialty

General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland. They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft tissue, trauma, peripheral artery disease and hernias and perform endoscopic procedures such as gastroscopy and colonoscopy.

Neurosurgery Medical specialty of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system

Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, surgical treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, central and peripheral nervous system, and cerebrovascular system.

Otorhinolaryngology Medical specialty

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 and reconstruction of cancers and benign tumors of the head and neck as well as plastic surgery of the face and neck.

Urology Medical specialty

Urology, also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the male and female urinary-tract system and the male reproductive organs. Organs under the domain of urology include the kidneys, adrenal glands, ureters, urinary bladder, urethra, and the male reproductive organs.

Pathology Study of the causes and effects of disease or injury, also how they arise

Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word pathology also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatment, the term is often used in a narrower fashion to refer to processes and tests which fall within the contemporary medical field of "general pathology", an area which includes a number of distinct but inter-related medical specialties that diagnose disease, mostly through analysis of tissue, cell, and body fluid samples. Idiomatically, "a pathology" may also refer to the predicted or actual progression of particular diseases, and the affix pathy is sometimes used to indicate a state of disease in cases of both physical ailment and psychological conditions. A physician practicing pathology is called a pathologist.

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.

Bone tumor Medical condition

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.

Osteosarcoma Medical condition

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 Branch of surgery concerned with the musculoskeletal and bones system

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 Surgical treatment

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a surgical specialty focusing on reconstructive surgery of the face, facial trauma surgery, the oral cavity, head and neck, mouth, and jaws, as well as facial cosmetic surgery.

Surgical oncology is the branch of surgery applied to oncology; it focuses on the surgical management of tumors, especially cancerous tumors.

Chondrosarcoma Medical condition

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.

Osteochondroma Medical condition

Osteochondromas are the most common benign tumors of the bones. The tumors take the form of cartilage-capped bony projections or outgrowth on the surface of bones exostoses. It is characterized as a type of overgrowth that can occur in any bone where cartilage forms bone. Tumors most commonly affect long bones about the knee and in the forearm. Additionally, flat bones such as the pelvis and scapula may be affected. Hereditary multiple exostoses usually present during childhood. Yet, the vast majority of affected individuals become clinically manifest by the time they reach adolescence. Osteochondromas occur in 3% of the general population and represent 35% of all benign tumors and 8% of all bone tumors. The majority of these tumors are solitary non-hereditary lesions and approximately 15% of osteochondromas occur as hereditary multiple exostoses preferably known as hereditary multiple osteochondromas (HMOs). Osteochondromas do not result from injury and the exact cause remains unknown. Recent research has indicated that multiple osteochondromas is an autosomal dominant inherited disease. Germ line mutations in EXT1 and EXT2 genes located on chromosomes 8 and 11 have been associated with the cause of the disease. The treatment choice for osteochondroma is surgical removal of solitary lesion or partial excision of the outgrowth, when symptoms cause motion limitations or nerve and blood vessel impingements. In hereditary multiple exostoses the indications of surgery are based upon multiple factors that are taken collectively, namely: patient's age, tumor location and number, accompanying symptomatology, esthetic concerns, family history and underlying gene mutation. A variety of surgical procedures have been employed to remedy hereditary multiple exostoses such as osteochondroma excision, bone lengthening, corrective osteotomy and hemiepiphysiodesis. Sometimes a combination of the previous procedures is used. The indicators of surgical success in regard to disease and patient characteristics are greatly disputable. Because most studies of hereditary multiple exostoses are retrospective and of limited sample size with missing data, the best evidence for each of the currently practiced surgical procedures is lacking.

Eye neoplasm Medical condition

Eye neoplasms can affect all parts of the eye, and can be a benign tumor or a malignant tumor (cancer). Eye cancers can be primary or metastatic cancer. The two most common cancers that spread to the eye from another organ are breast cancer and lung cancer. Other less common sites of origin include the prostate, kidney, thyroid, skin, colon and blood or bone marrow.

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 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.

McLaren Flint Hospital in Michigan, United States

McLaren Flint is a nonprofit, 378 bed tertiary teaching hospital located in Flint, Michigan. McLaren is affiliated with the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine's medical residency programs, including family medicine, internal medicine, general surgery, orthopedic surgery and radiology. McLaren also maintains a hematology/oncology fellowship program in partnership with Michigan State University and is sponsoring a surgical oncology fellowship program. McLaren Flint is a subsidiary of McLaren Health Care Corporation.

Orchiectomy Surgical removal of one or both testicles

Orchiectomy is a surgical procedure in which one or both testicles are removed. The surgery is performed as treatment for testicular cancer, as part of surgery for transgender women, as management for advanced prostate cancer, and to remove damaged testes after testicular torsion. Less frequently, orchiectomy may be performed following a trauma, or due to wasting away of the testis or testes.

Andrew C. Hecht, M.D., 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.

References

  1. "Orthopedic Oncology". www.umms.org. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  2. "Frequently Asked Questions About Orthopaedic Oncology | University Orthopedic Surgeons". www.uosortho.com. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  3. "Orthopedic Oncology - Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center". edwardsccc.org. Retrieved 2022-06-06.