We are the combination of four hospitals: the General Hospital, the Children’s Hospital, the Women’s Hospital and the Traumatology, Rehabilitation and Burns Hospital. We are part of the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus: a world-leading health park where healthcare plays a crucial role.
Below we will list the departments and units that form part of Vall d’Hebron Hospital and the main diseases that we treat. We will also make recommendations based on advice backed up by scientific evidence that has been shown to be effective in guaranteeing well-being and quality of life.
Would you like to know what your stay at Vall d'Hebron will be like? Here you will find all the information.
The commitment of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital to innovation allows us to be at the forefront of medicine, providing first class care adapted to the changing needs of each patient.
Osteosarcoma, or osteogenic sarcoma, is a cancer of the bone cells. It is a malignant tumour that can spread to almost any organ or tissue in the body. It usually starts in the ends of the bones of the legs or arms, but can be found in other bones. It is most commonly found in the distal femur (above the knee), the proximal tibia (below the knee), the proximal humerus (the arm below the shoulder). It can spread to almost any organ or tissue in the body, but tends to go to the lungs first. It often occurs in children and young people between 10 and 20 years old who are undergrowing a rapid growth spurt. It tends to appear in an area where there has been trauma, but the relationship between this injury and the risk of developing osteosarcoma is currently unknown.
The most common symptoms are pain in the area of the tumour and swelling or a lump.
Movement may cause pain to increase.
If the tumour is in the hip or leg the child may limp.
Malignant neoplasms in children and adolescents are rare, but they are one of the most important causes of mortality in these age groups. Osteosarcoma represents 4% of cancers diagnosed in children throughout Spain. Every year in Spain there are around 40 new cases in children under 14 years of age.
There are different tools to diagnose osteosarcoma:
These tests will help to determine the size and location of the tumour and whether it has spread to another part of the body. This information determines which phase it is in and is necessary to decide the best treatment to follow.
Osteosarcoma is treated using two kinds of therapy: surgery (to save or amputate the limb) and chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is usually given a few weeks before and after surgery. The type of surgery depends on the size and location of the tumour, and on the age of the child.
There are currently no measures to prevent this kind of tumour.
Health tips for treating patients with resistant osteoarticular infections
Health tips for patients with sarcoma or other musculoskeletal tumours
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