What is a hemipelvectomy?
The pelvis is a set of bones in the lower torso that connects the spine to the legs. It starts out connected by cartilage when we’re young but fuses together at maturity. As a structure, it serves three main functions:
Protecting the organs inside the pelvic cavity Serving as an anchor point for the muscles controlling the lower body Providing an axis for weight distribution of the upper bodySometimes...
Children’s Art Project gives osteosarcoma survivor meaningful experiences as both a child and an adult
Jordan Rance was only 11 years old when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2005.
“I didn’t have any symptoms,” she says. “I got...
Orthopedic oncology surgeon: Being at MD Anderson allows me to do my best work
When I was growing up, I played a lot of sports. In high school, one of my favorites was wrestling. And with a lot of practice, I learned...
Half of my pelvis is gone, but I’m a happy, normal 18-year-old
Discovering I had bone cancer when I was only 12 forced me to mature very quickly. Doctors found a growth about the size of an orange in my pelvis, after a pain in my left leg got really bad over the summer of 2014.
The diagnosis was osteosarcoma. Surgery is usually a part of the treatment. But because the tumor was so close to some vital nerves, almost every doctor my parents consulted recommended amputation. If I’d stayed in...
5 questions about bone health and cancer
Losing bone density is common as you age, when cells that help rebuild bones aren’t replaced as quickly. Because of this, your bones may become...
Osteosarcoma survivor: Life after cancer can be amazing
Although it's been 18 years, I still clearly remember how scared my family was when I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in my right femur...
MD Anderson saved my life — and my adolescent daughter’s
Cancer doesn’t run in my family or my husband’s. Only one of my ancestors had it: my paternal grandmother died of lung cancer when I was 11...
Osteosarcoma survivor: MD Anderson has helped shape my future
In 2016, osteosarcoma was the last thing on my mind. I was a typical and active high-school junior playing sports and hanging out with my...
How I reinvented myself after an osteosarcoma diagnosis
After losing most of my right leg at age 14 in November 2010 due to osteosarcoma, it was really hard for me to give up gymnastics. It had...
Best of Cancerwise 2017: Advice from our patients and caregivers
If you — or your child — were diagnosed with cancer, what would you do? How would you handle the treatments and the side effects? How would...