Conditions We Treat

The team at Ochsner treats a range of bone cancers and tumors including:

• Multiple Myeloma/Plasmacytoma – Multiple myeloma is the most common primary bone cancer. This cancer generally develops in older adults and tends to involve the entire skeleton. When only one lesion is found it is called a plasmacytoma.
• Chondrosarcoma ­– A cancerous tumor made up of cartilage-producing cells that develops in the legs, pelvis or arms of adults. It is the second most common primary malignancy of bone, and one of the most difficult bone tumors to diagnose and treat.
• Osteosarcoma – An aggressive, malignancy that occurs most often in the leg and arm bones of children and young adults.
• Ewing's Sarcoma – A rare disease in which cancer cells are found in the bone or soft tissue. It is most commonly seen in the legs, pelvis or arms of children and young adults.
• Chondromyxiod Fibroma – A rare, slow-growing, benign bone tumor.
• Enchondroma – A noncancerous bone tumor that begins in cartilage.
• Extra-Abdominal Desmoid Tumors – Deep-seated, benign tumors that can become large and grow into surrounding muscle, tendons, joints and bone.
• Fibrous Dysplasia – A chronic condition where scar-like tissue grows in place of normal bone.
• Giant Cell Tumor of Bone – A rare, aggressive non-cancerous tumor that typically occurs in young to middle-aged adults near a joint at the end of the bone.
• Metastatic Bone Disease Cancer – Cancer that begins in an organ and then spreads to the bone.
• Nonossifying Fibroma –The most common benign bone cancer in children. They most commonly occur in the femur and tibia.
• Osteochondroma – These common, noncancerous tumors develop during childhood or adolescence.
• Osteoid Osteoma – A benign bone tumor that usually develops in the long bones of the body such as the thighbone and shinbone.
• Paget’s Disease of Bone – A chronic bone disorder that causes bones to become enlarged and deformed.
• Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis – A joint disease that causes inflammation and overgrowth of the joint lining.
• Soft Tissue Sarcomas – A form of cancer that begins in the body’s soft tissues, such as the lining of joints, tendons, muscle, fat, blood vessels and nerves.
• Synovial Chondromatosis – A rare, benign condition that involves the thin layer of tissue that lines joints.
• Unicameral (Simple) Bone Cyst – Also known as a simple bone cyst, this a fluid-filled cavity in the bone, lined by compressed fibrous tissue. It is usually found in the long bones of children.

How are bone and soft tissue sarcomas diagnosed?

Depending on the type and site of the tumor, a variety of techniques may be used to diagnose and stage bone and soft tissue sarcomas. These include:

• Biopsy, which is a surgical procedure to take a sample of the tumor in order to determine what type of tissue it is and to run special molecular tests.
• X-rays to evaluate tumors of the bone
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses strong magnets and a computer to produce detailed images of soft tissues, is useful to evaluate soft tissue sarcomas.
• Computed tomography (CT) scan, which uses a combination of X-rays and computer to produce images of the body, is useful for evaluating both bones and soft tissues.
• Radioisotope bone scan, which uses a special “tracer” to evaluate for abnormal areas of bone.
• Positron emission tomography (PET) scan, which uses radioactive sugar injected into a vein to determine if the tumor has spread to other areas of the body.
• Lumbar puncture, in which a sample of fluid is taken from the base of the spine, is used for certain subtypes of tumors that occur in the head.
• Bone marrow biopsy, in which a small sample of bone marrow is obtained from the hip, is often performed to determine if the tumor has spread to the bone marrow.

How are bone and soft tissue sarcomas staged?

The staging of bone and soft tissue sarcomas depends upon the subtype of the tumor and can be somewhat complicated. In general, the size, number and location of the tumors is combined with the pathology results from the tumor biopsy, bone marrow biopsies and the molecular studies and a stage and risk category is assigned. An important distinction for all subtypes is whether the disease is “localized” (confined to the area of the body in which it started) or “metastatic” (spread to other areas of the body).

More detailed information on staging of particular subtypes of tumor can be found here:

• Osteosarcoma
• Ewing’s sarcoma
• Rhabdomyosarcoma
• Non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcoma

What is breast, soft tissue and neck surgery?

Minimally invasive techniques are now being used to find metastasis in breast cancer and melanoma. As it turns out, the lymphatic drainage of a specific area of breast usually drains to a specific lymph node, which is the lymph node most likely to contain cancer if the breast cancer has become metastatic. Lymphatic dye and radioactive sulfur colloid are injected around the area of the breast cancer, and the dye and colloid travel through lymph channels to this lymph node. Using a gamma counter probe, the lymph node containing the radioactive substance is identified through a small incision. In most cases, this procedure can replace the larger axillary incision and complete lymph node dissection performed in the past. A similar procedure is performed for melanomas.

Support Services

Ochsner offers a variety of services for cancer patients, their families and their caregivers. We believe in treating the whole person and provide nutrition and emotional support, both on an individual basis and through support groups.

• Hotel Accomodations at Ochsner Medical Center: Brent House Hotel
• Hope Lodge
• Calendar of Events at Ochsner
• Healing Yoga
• Hospice
• Nurse Navigation
• Nutrition Support/Dietitians
• Oncology Social Workers
• Survivorship Clinic
• Support Groups
• Treating Your Emotions

Clinical Trials

The Ochsner Cancer Institute is able to enroll patients in the most recent clinical trials, giving you access to new treatment options.

View Cancer Clinical Trials

Referring Physicians

Patient referrals, transfers and consults are critically important.

We make it easy for you. To obtain copies of patient records, schedule clinic appointments, and to share your preference for receiving post visit follow-up from your patient's appointment, call the Clinic Concierge, our dedicated physician referral line, at 504-842-7436 or 1-855-312-4190.