IMiD specialists help children with solid tumors

Kacper is one of about 90 children treated annually at IMiD's Department of Oncology and Oncologic Surgery for sarcoma. Among other things, the facility specializes in oncologic surgery for solid tumors outside the CNS (Central Nervous System) using innovative reconstructive techniques. The boy is struggling with Ewing's sarcoma - the second most common bone tumor in children and adolescents after osteosarcoma. Approximately 20-25 children develop it annually - the 6-year-old was just among this group, although the peak incidence is between the ages of 15 and 19.

- Kacper is a cheerful boy, playful and sociable, very physically active. He is being raised by his mother alone, as he lost his dad in an accident less than 3 years ago. We are all keeping our fingers crossed for him, and the doctors are doing their best to make Kacper's chances for health and fitness as high as possible," says Mariola Wujec, a psycho-oncologist at the Oncology Clinic of the Mother and Child Institute in Warsaw.

A complicated procedure

At the end of May, Kacper underwent a procedure for which an operating microscope was used. The operation performed was quite unusual, as the cancer was located in the tibia bone, which had to be removed along with the tissues in the tumor area. Despite the unfavorable location, reconstructive surgery was performed on the excised bone, which will enable the boy to be fully active in the future.

- In the case of bone tumors, surgical treatment is necessary, the goal of which is to radically remove the tumor, with all the tissues in its immediate vicinity and the bone occupied by the disease. At the same time, we carry out bone reconstruction - in Kacper's case, we replaced the excised part with his own bone graft and stabilized the whole with a special plate. Such a procedure makes it possible to preserve the limb and locomotor functions. The patient's return to fitness depends on many factors - including the size of the area that was removed, the child's involvement in post-operative rehabilitation, the use of various forms of immobilization or the occurrence of complications. At the moment, we are optimistic about the results of Kacper's surgery," concludes Dr. Bartosz Pachuta, an expert in orthopedics and traumatology of the musculoskeletal system at IMiD.

Microscope - a must have in surgical treatment

Kacper still has a long way to go - he faces rehabilitation to help increase his strength and range of motion, as well as further chemotherapy to achieve complete remission. However, thanks to the surgical microscope procedure, the boy has a chance for recovery and a normal, active childhood, and in the future, adulthood. There are more children in a situation similar to Kacper's, which is why it is so important for medical facilities to have access to the best technology, such as that used at the IMiD Oncology Department.

- An operating microscope is a high-end device that allows, among other things, to accurately observe a patient's vascular structures during a surgical procedure. Thanks to this, doctors can make precise microsurgical connections of vessels, which gives the best chance of accepting a bone graft. It is worth noting that many people are involved in the procedure - including two surgical teams consisting of oncologic and orthopedic surgeons, an anesthesiologist, nurses, instrument technicians and a pathomorphologist. Our young patients face different challenges every day - that's why we want to facilitate their access to the highest quality treatment," adds Professor Anna Raciborska, Head of the Department of Oncology and Oncologic Surgery for Children and Adolescents at the Mother and Child Institute.

Those wishing to support the Mother and Child Institute in providing the best care for pediatric Ewing's sarcoma patients can donate to the Herosi Foundation account number: PLN 04 1020 1068 0000 1302 0171 1613 or by joining the COLLECTION

Source: press release