Primary Osteosarcoma Treatment in Israel

Osteosarcoma can be delineated into “primary” and “secondary” categories. While primary osteosarcoma is not directly associated with another cancer, disease, or treatment, secondary osteosarcoma develops in connection with a pre-existing skeletal disease, cancer, or previous treatments such as irradiation and chemotherapy. Primary osteosarcoma typically occurs in young patients (10-20 years old) corresponding with the period of bone growth in adolescence. In contrast, secondary osteosarcoma usually occurs in the elderly.

The malignancy can be further categorized into central tumors and surface tumors, each with different subtypes. The type and subtype of osteosarcoma are determined by looking at the tumor cells through a microscope. The most common subtype is called conventional central osteosarcoma (or in short, conventional osteosarcoma). The other subtypes are much less common, as each accounts for less than 5% of all osteosarcomas.

As an aggressive type of tumor, osteosarcomas are often assumed to have metastasized by the time a patient is diagnosed. Accordingly, primary and secondary osteosarcoma treatment alike can be complex, so it is crucial to choose a medical center staffed with top-tier cancer specialists and medical experts with vast experience in a wide range of disciplines for treatment.

However, treatment options are available. A treatment plan for osteosarcoma must take into consideration the tumor’s type, size, and location, and may include surgery, chemotherapy, targeted drugs, and radiation therapy. In Israel, primary osteosarcoma treatment often progresses in 3 stages: neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgical resection, and then additional chemotherapy and/or radiation. Given timely and proper therapy, two-thirds of patients with non-metastatic primary osteosarcoma will survive long-term. However, when chemotherapy is excluded, up to 80% of patients will develop metastatic tumors, even if the primary cancer is locally controlled.

Chemotherapy, often referred to as “chemo,” is a type of treatment for cancer that involves medication, or a combination of different medications, given intravenously to the patient. Ultimately, the goal of chemo is to slow down or totally stop the growth of cancer cells. Sometimes, chemotherapy is the only treatment needed, while other times it is used along with radiation therapy, surgery, or both.

Chemo is a systemic therapy, meaning that it affects the entire body – in contrast to surgery and radiation, which removes, kills, or damages cancer cells in a particular area. In practice, this means that chemotherapy can be used to eradicate cancer cells that have metastasized (spread) throughout the rest of the body, and not just the cells of the primary tumor.

The specific function of chemo depends on the kind of cancer being treated and how far it has progressed, but chemotherapy can serve four main roles:

• To destroy cancer cells completely and put cancer into remission.
• To control the growth and spread of cancer.
• To ease symptoms by shrinking a tumor.
• To prevent disease recurrence.

Having discovered a few of the many advantages of receiving primary osteosarcoma treatment in Israel, where exactly should you pursue it? Sheba Medical Center is an exceptional choice. One of the 10 best hospitals in the world according to Newsweek magazine, Sheba is dedicated to providing patients with world-class medical care.

Within our Department of Sarcomas and Bone Tumors, Sheba is actively involved in exciting clinical studies to develop new treatments for osteosarcoma in children.

The advantages of receiving treatment at Sheba Medical Center include:

• Antiangiogenesis: Antiangiogenesis is a breakthrough treatment for metastatic sarcoma, which inhibits the development of blood vessels that feed metastases. Research trials showed that in 46% of the patients who received the therapy, the enlargement of 31% of the metastases was stopped.
• As a government institution, we have no hidden costs, and our fees are transparent. Although we offer advanced treatments that are available only in select medical institutions around the world, our prices are affordable.
• Sheba treats each patient as a unique individual, personalizing every therapy program.
• Sheba’s 360-degree care approach to every patient, which means that Sheba’s professionals will assist you with arranging medical record reviews, travel, visas, accommodations, and language interpretation as needed.
• Sheba has full accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI), the premier international healthcare accrediting group.
• Sheba has both advanced treatment and laboratory facilities. At Sheba, patients receive every aspect of their treatment in a single facility.
• Our physicians are actively involved in the latest research and application of progressive treatments.