Key points from today’s guests:
Zac Craig, sarcoma survivor
- Ten years ago, as a competitor in strongman competitions, he injured his shoulder and had rotator cuff surgery.
- But about nine months later, he was still in pain and got another MRI that showed he had cancer, so he was referred to Dr. Rosenthal.
- Zac had a customized complete shoulder replacement, which is very rare.
- He is able to participate in sports again, but now runs marathons instead of strongman competitions.
- He stresses the importance of a support system to help him and others come back from a diagnosis like this.
Dr. Howard Rosenthal, orthopedic oncologist; medical director, Sarcoma Center, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- Sarcomas are extraordinarily rare. There are about 100 different types of sarcomas and if you add all those together they still represent less than one percent of all cancers.
- Zac's type of sarcoma was a cartilage type of a cancer that's derived from the cartilage from within the bone.
- Radiation or chemotherapy treatments typically do not work, so the standard of care for this type of shoulder cancer is just to remove the scapula and let the arm hang with limited use.
- We rebuilt the entire shoulder so Zac could still have normal function of his shoulder and arm.
- My patients provide so much inspiration based on how they have recovered from sarcomas.
Tuesday, June 18 at 8 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. What happens when high blood pressure reaches inside your lungs? There are changing treatments for pulmonary hypertension. Meet one young woman hoping new medicine will help reclaim her life.
ATTENTION MEDIA: Please note access is with Microsoft Teams:
Join on your computer or mobile app
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 235 659 792 451
Passcode: 6CSfGE
Download Teams | Join on the web
Or call in (audio only)
+1 913-318-8863,566341546# United States, Kansas City
TVU Grid link: UoK_Health_SDI
Restream links: Facebook.com/kuhospital
YouTube.com/kuhospital
Send advance questions to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu.