Musculoskeletal tumors are rare, but can be devastating. Benign or malignant tumors can develop in the large or small bones of the limbs as well as in muscles, fat, joints, nerves or blood vessels. Primary malignant tumors of bone (i.e. bone sarcomas) affect approximately 3,000 people while primary malignant tumors of soft tissue (soft tissue sarcomas) affect about 10,000 people annually in the United States.
Lead by Richard D. Lackman, MD, FACS, the Cooper Orthopaedic Oncology Center will open in Camden on July 1, 2012. With the support of the Cooper Cancer Institute and the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute, the Cooper Orthopaedic Oncology Center is the only program in South Jersey dedicated to treating musculoskeletal tumors including metastatic bone tumors, bone and soft tissue sarcomas and also benign tumors of bone and soft tissue.
Dr. Lackman, the first fellowship-trained orthopaedic oncology specialist in the Philadelphia region have begun his practice here in 1983. He joined Cooper after serving as Associate Director, Patient and Family Services at the Abramson Cancer Center and Director, Sarcoma Center of Excellence, both at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Because of their rarity and complexity, musculoskeletal tumors pose difficult challenges to diagnosis and treatment. At Cooper, we take a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care that puts an entire team of experts behind each patient, every step of the way,” says Dr. Lackman. “Beginning with an accurate diagnosis, we create an individualized treatment plan for each patient using the most advanced options available in a compassionate and caring environment.”
The multidisciplinary team includes: orthopaedic oncologist, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists and diagnostic and interventional radiologists. This team collaborates daily to provide patients with access to cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment technologies, innovative limb-sparing and reconstructive surgery, the latest clinical trials, and a full range of supportive care services.
The Orthopaedic Oncology Center will be located at Three Cooper Plaza, Suite 400, Camden, New Jersey. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 856.361.1754.