July is Sarcoma Awareness Month

What is sarcoma, you ask? Sarcoma  is a rare cancer that develops in the connective tissue of the body which includes fat, blood vessels, nerves, bones, muscles, deep skin tissues, and cartilage. With more than 50 different subtypes, sarcomas are divided into two main groups: bone tumors and soft tissue sarcomas.

Dr. Albert J. Aboulafia

Sarcomas represent less than one percent of all cancers diagnosed in the U.S. The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates are that approximately 11,280 soft tissue sarcomas and about 2,890 bone sarcomas will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year in both adults and children.

Sinai is the only community-based hospital in Maryland with specialist experienced enough to effectively treat this rare type of cancer. Under the leadership of Dr. Albert Aboulafia, Director of Sarcoma Services for the Division of Orthopedic Oncology,  a multidisciplinary team composed of a fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgical oncologist, musculoskeletal radiologist and pathologist, medical oncologist and radiation therapist. The team treats both pediatric and adult patients with sarcoma.

The Orthopaedic Oncology team at the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute treated more than 100 pediatric and adult patients with sarcoma last year. Advances in the diagnosis, evaluation, treatment and management of patients with sarcoma, along with care provided by the nationally and internationally recognized specialists at Sinai, have produced hope and success for these patients.

In this video Dr. Aboulafia discusses his role as Director of Sarcoma Services:

Please visit our recently enhanced webpages to learn more about sarcoma:

• Sarcomas and Orthopedic Oncology FAQ
• Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute
• Sinai Division of Orthopedic Oncology

-Written by Lisa Ann Hamm, MS, The Alvin and Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute, Sinai and Northwest Hospitals 

To schedule an appointment with one of our highly trained physicians and find out why LifeBridge Health is Baltimore's premiere health care organization, call 410-601-WELL.

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