Musculoskeletal Tumors
At SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, we have a team of specialists who treat benign and cancerous tumors of the bone and soft tissue. When cancerous, the tumors are classified as either bone or soft tissue sarcomas.
These tumors, which begin deep inside the bone or soft tissue, can go undetected until a child develops pain and swelling at the site of the tumor. A child also may develop a limp if the tumor is in the legs. Sometimes, the tumor is diagnosed when the weakened bone fractures.
It’s important to know that not all bone or soft tissue tumors are cancerous. But if a lump or swelling does not go away, you should get it checked out by a doctor.
We have a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of pediatric musculoskeletal tumors. Our team includes:
- Pediatric Orthopedic Oncologists
- Radiation Oncologists
- Medical Oncologists
- Pathologists
- Advanced Nurse Practitioners
- Physical and Occupational Therapists
In some cases that involve tumors that have spread to other organs, more specialists are involved in the care. In other cases, if a tumor has spread to the bones or soft tissues (metastatic disease), it needs treatment by our bone and soft tissue specialists. Our team meets weekly to discuss each child’s unique diagnosis to develop a personalized approach to treatment and recovery.
Types of Musculoskeletal Tumors
Although rare in both children and adults and not always cancerous (malignant), there are several types of bone and soft tissue sarcomas that we see in children. Some examples include:
Osteosarcoma
The most common primary cancer of the bone. Most of these cancers are diagnosed in older children and teens. It usually is diagnosed around a growth spurt and in the ends of the leg or arm bones. It can, however, develop in any bone. Symptoms include swelling and pain in the affected limb.
Ewing Sarcoma
This is a tumor that forms in the bone or soft tissues. It most often occurs in the legs or pelvis bones, but it can occur elsewhere.
Primitive Neuro-Ectodermal Tumors (PNET)
These tumors affect the bone and soft tissue along the central nervous system, such as along the spinal cord or in the brain.
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS)
A soft tissue sarcoma that involves the muscle.
Benign (non-cancerous bone and soft tissue tumors)
Our team treats a wide variety of benign bone and soft tissue tumors, including bone cysts, fibrous dysplasia, giant cell tumor of the bone, lipoma, and nerve sheath tumors.
Treatment
Treatment options can include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these. Targeted radiation or chemotherapy may be used to shrink a large tumor prior to surgery to potentially improve outcomes and facilitate surgery to remove the tumor.
To preserve as much normal bone and soft tissue as possible, SLUCare Physician Group orthopedic oncologists at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital are experts at limb sparing (limb preservation) surgery.
Find additional information about the diagnosis and treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors in children and learn more about about the diagnosis and treatment of metastatic bone disease.