Treatment of rare tumors: In addition to soft tissue tumors, the MHH is the only center in Lower Saxony to be certified for bone sarcomas.
From left PD Dr. med. Philipp Ivanyi, center coordinator and Prof. Dr. med. Mohamed Omar, medical director of the Sarcoma Center of the MHH. Copyright: Ilka Kosmalski/MHH
27.06.2022
Sarcomas are rare tumors that originate either in bone or soft tissue. They can arise in almost all regions of the body. Accordingly, the symptoms vary and early detection and treatment are challenging.
The stage-specific treatment of these tumors has a long tradition at the Hannover Medical School (MHH). Now the Sarcoma Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) of the MHH, which is one of the oldest in the country, has been successfully certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG). In addition to the treatment of soft tissue tumors, the center was also recognized for the treatment of bone tumors. The certificate attests that the center works according to current scientific knowledge and high quality standards.
"The important thing with sarcomas is that patients are correctly diagnosed and receive the best possible therapy depending on the individual tumor situation," says Professor Dr. Mohamed Omar, medical director of the Sarcoma Center and division head of musculoskeletal tumor surgery at the MHH Department of Trauma Surgery. "We specialize in the treatment of these rare tumors and have the necessary interdisciplinary expertise and experience to do so."
At the center, various surgical departments work closely with oncology, diagnostic and interventional departments. Each patient is presented and discussed at the weekly sarcoma conference. The goal is to achieve the most optimal therapeutic outcome for those affected. Patients with sarcomas at the MHH are cared for in close cooperation with physicians in private practice and external clinics in the region.
Individualized solutions and treatment at the highest level
"We are a grown interdisciplinary center that works together smoothly in routine care but also in the scientific field. Networking with external clinics that also have a focus in the entities enables us to exchange expertise across the center. In this way, we can do justice to the disease and the patients at the highest individual level," emphasizes private lecturer Dr. Philipp Ivanyi, coordinator of the Sarcoma Center and senior physician in the Department of Hematology, Hemostaseology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at the MHH.
State-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic procedures allow patients to plan their therapy according to their needs. The central pillars of treatment include surgery, radiation and drug therapies. Clinical trials provide patients with access to novel treatment strategies, including close collaboration with the in-house molecular tumor board. The disease-specific range of treatments is supplemented by aftercare and supportive multiprofessional care services.
Bone tumors: special implants using 3D technology
A special feature at the center: the use of 3D technology in tumor endoprosthetics. "The ability to manufacture 3D-printed implants offers a great advantage, especially for tumors in complicated anatomical conditions such as the pelvis or when conventional tumor endoprostheses are not suitable for reconstruction," explains Professor Omar. "Using 3D technology, we can have precisely fitting implants made, which we insert into the bone defect after surgically removing the tumor." However, the fabrication of such implants is currently only suitable for selected, particularly severely affected patients.
In Lower Saxony, the Sarcoma Center of the MHH is so far the only one that, in addition to soft tissue tumors, also holds the certificate for bone sarcomas. The prerequisite for the DKG quality seal: the clinic must already be a certified oncology center and meet the necessary quality requirements for diagnosis and treatment. This was verified as part of a comprehensive assessment by the DKG's independent certification institute OnkoZert. The certificate will initially be awarded to the center until May 2023.
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For more information, contact Professor Mohamed Omar, MD, omar.mohamed@mh-hannover.de, www.mhh.de/sarkomzentrum
DKG-certified centers at https://www.oncomap.de/centers