Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology Center

Montefiore Medical Center has assembled a team of specialists devoted to the medical and surgical  management of all types of sarcomas including: Angiosarcomas, Fibrosarcomas, Liposarcomas, Leiomyosarcomas, Rhabdomyosarcomas, Synovial Sarcomas, Osteosarcomas, Ewing's Sarcomas, Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors, Alveolar Soft Part Sarcomas, Epithelioid Sarcomas and Chondrosarcomas.

The Sarcoma Team at Montefiore is the foundation of a unique multidisciplinary program—one of the only such programs in the tri-state region. Members of this team include: a medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, an orthopaedic oncologist, and a plastic and reconstructive surgeon.

About 150 orthopaedic oncologists nationwide are dedicated to this subspecialty, and only 10 accredited orthopaedic oncology fellowship programs are currently in existence. David S. Geller, MD, an orthopaedic oncologist, comes to Montefiore after completing the Harvard Orthopaedic Oncology Fellowship, spending time at Children's Hospital Boston, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He now brings his expertise to Montefiore where he will continue his ongoing research in soft-tissue sarcoma reconstruction, metastatic cancer treatment and trauma.

Treatment Approaches and Options

Treatments for sarcomas include: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation and, typically, a combination of these modalities yields the greatest chance of success. All of these are offered at Montefiore, plus cutting edge chemotherapies, clinical trials and reconstructive abilities such as osteoarticular allograft bone replacement, tumor endo-prostheses, and allograft prosthetic composites (APCs).

Each case is presented to Montefi ore's multidisciplinary tumor board, which is comprised of radiologists, pathologists, pediatric oncologists, radiation oncologists, orthopaedic oncologists, surgical oncologists, spine surgeons, and plastics and reconstruction surgeons. This process is followed by a group meeting with the patient, where a coordinated care approach is employed. In the context of a single visit, each patient can confer with their sarcoma specialists to discuss their treatment plan and offer immediate feedback. The coordinated care approach offers a tremendous convenience to patients and families, condensing many visits to one.

State-of-the-Art Treatment Facilities

Patients of Montefiore's Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology Center have access to the most technologically advanced facilities available. From a state-of-the-art infusion center to a new radiation oncology facility that offers the most innovative and comprehensive array of radiation therapy services available in the New York metropolitan region, Montefiore is on the leading edge of sarcoma treatment.

© 2008 Montefiore Medical Center