Possible Osteosarcoma -- 19 Year Old

Posted by Dee @danielad, May 19, 2019

Hello all -- I am NOT new on Connect, but I am new on the subject of "Osteosarcoma". My 19-year old grandson "may" have osteosarcoma of the left femural head and we have been referred to an Orthopedist Oncologist specialized in osteosarcomas. I have found information on various reputable informational sites, including the American Cancer Society web-page.

I am now wondering if anyone has information, about their own experiences with osteosarcoma, they would like to share. Perhaps something that may be of help while we wait for the initial consultation in mid-June. But any information would be great! Thanks to all! Stay well -- Dee

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Sarcoma Support Group.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | May 19, 2019

Hi Dee,
Such alarming news to hear as a grandmother about your grandson possibly having osteosarcoma. I applaud you for seeking to learn from others in order to prepare for the upcoming consultation with the orthopedist oncologist, specializing in osteorsarcomas. To help with that, I'd like to bring @mmccarter62 @bennyhill38 @c945105 and @wendy76 in this discussion with their experiences.

@mmccarter62 is a new member to Connect who just recently posted this discussion about her son:
- Astrocytoma and reoccurring Osteosarcoma https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/astrocytoma-and-reoccurring-osteosarcoma/

Both of you may also be interested in this discussion:
- Diagnosed with sarcoma? Let's share https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/diagnosed-with-sarcoma-lets-share/

Dee, do you live near your grandson and family?

Dee | @danielad | May 20, 2019

In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi Dee, Such alarming news to hear as a grandmother about your grandson possibly having osteosarcoma...." + (show)

@mmccarter62 @bennyhill38 @c945105 @wendy76 and @colleenyoung

Hello Colleen, thank you for the reply and information. Actually, Michael has been living with my husband and I for a number of years. Now he is a Freshman in college and lives on campus for most of the year. So, he is like out 5th child! We are very present in his life, including going to all of his medical appointments.

A bit about Michael: He is 19 and a Freshman in college. A year ago, he joined the Army National Guard, and in January 2019 (first semester in college), he joined ROTC. His knee pain started several months ago, but his primary doctor initially discounted it thinking it was due to the Army’s heavy exercises, marching, running, etc. When the pain didn’t go away, in spite of “rest” and NSAIDs, we made an appointment with an Orthopedist who ordered an X-Ray, followed by 2 MRIs.

The orthopedist mentioned several times that the results he expected to see were a "complete" or "near-complete" resolution over time, aided by avoidance of high-impact exercises and use of icing and NSAIDs. However, last week he frankly told us that he was "stumped" by the lack of progress and said -- "I don't want to alarm you, but I want to refer Michael to a very good Orthopedic-Oncologist specialized in Osteosarcoma ...". Then he noticed my husband was VERY upset and added -- " ... teens go through a lot of growth and sometimes there are cells that multiply at a faster rate than usual in bones and cause some issues ... Usually a totally benign process and nothing to worry about ... ".

In the 2nd MRI, the radiologist conclusions were "... subchondral endplate sclerosis and marrow edema at the medial femoral condyle. Stigmata of subacute subchondral fracture suspected ...". Our Ortho calls it a "Stress Fracture" and a "Lesion that is not healing”.

We obviously don’t know IF, and certainly hope it is NOT a tumor of any kind, including the Osteosarcoma addressed as a possibility by our orthopedist. However, as we wait for the mid-June appointment with the Orthopedist-Oncologist, we are researching and reading a lot about Osteosarcoma (using only “reputable” websites).

If you @mmccarter62 @bennyhill38 @c945105 and @wendy76 may be able to share information or your own experiences, it will help us greatly to prepare for the appointment.

Thanks to all. Stay well!
--Dee