Our Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Program combines the expertise of clinicians at both Dana-Farber and Boston Children's Hospital to provide comprehensive care for children and teens with benign or malignant bone and soft tissue tumors. Our care team consists of specialists who work closely together to design the best possible treatment plan for your child.
About the Program
Bone and soft tissue tumors form in the body’s connective tissue, which includes bone, cartilage, blood and fat. Some, but not all, of these tumors are malignant, meaning they have the ability to spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors are often called sarcomas.
Our Bone and Soft Tissue Program offers a multidisciplinary treatment approach to care for your child.
- Your child’s core care team will include pediatric oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, nurses, and psychosocial and physical therapy specialists.
- Our pediatric surgeons are nationally recognized for their expertise in removing bone and soft tissue tumors.
- We are New England’s Phase I referral center for the Children’s Oncology Group, which means we’re able to offer clinical trials unavailable at other regional centers.
- We provide long-term treatment and childhood cancer survivor support through Dana-Farber’s David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic.
The Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Program treats children with the following benign and malignant conditions:
Benign tumors
Malignant tumors
Our oncologic and orthopedic surgeons are highly experienced in bone and soft tissue operations. If you are considering where to get treatment for your child, it’s important to know that outcomes are better when treatment is provided by surgeons with expertise in treating these conditions.
Our Treatment Approach
The Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Program was one of the first in the country to use adjuvant chemotherapy and perform limb salvage surgery for patients with osteosarcoma. Your child’s care team consists of specialists who work closely together to design the best possible treatment plan.
The members of the care team include:
- pediatric oncologists
- radiation oncologists
- surgeons
- pathologists
- radiologists
- psychosocial clinicians
- physical therapists
- pediatric nurses
At Dana-Farber/Boston Children's, we consider you and your child integral parts of the care team and not simply recipients of care. Your team will work together with you to customize a treatment plan that takes the needs of your child and your family into account.
The Treatment Team
Our staff of compassionate and experienced pediatric specialists includes oncologists, orthopedic surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, and pediatric nurses.
Our physicians are focused on family-centered care: From your first visit, you’ll work with a team of professionals who are committed to supporting all of your family’s physical and psychosocial needs.
- Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, Director of the Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors Program
Rodriguez-Galindo is a hematologist oncologist and the director of the Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors Program at Dana Farber/Boston Children’s. In addition, he is medical director of Pediatric Oncology Clinical Trials and a program leader in Experimental Therapeutics.
- Megan E. Anderson, MD
Anderson is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors. She trained at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Mass General Hospital. She is also an instructor in Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School.
- Susan A. Connolly, MD
Connolly is a radiologist specializing in pediatric musculoskeletal radiology. She completed her radiology residency at New England Deaconess Hospital and subsequently did a fellowship in pediatric radiology at Boston Children’s Hospital.
- Lisa R. Diller, MD
Diller is an experienced hematologist oncologist and the chief medical officer of Dana Farber/Boston Children’s. She specializes in the treatment of solid tumors, including neuroblastoma and Wilms tumor, and the late effects of pediatric cancer.
- Kristen Ecklund, MD
Ecklund is a pediatric radiologist who specializes in diagnostic radiology and pediatric musculoskeletal radiology. She holds the vice chair of Diagnostic Radiology and is the chief of the Division of Diagnostic Radiology.
- Paola Friedrich-Medina, MD
Friedrich-Medina is a pediatric hematologist oncologist who completed her residency at Boston Children’s Hospital/Boston Medical Center and subsequently did a fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Dana Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center. Her areas of expertise include international outreach, global health, solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.
- Mark C. Gebhardt, MD
Gebhardt is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors and solid tumors. In addition to the extensive research he has conducted on bone and soft tissue sarcomas, Gebhardt is a professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School.
- Holcombe E. Grier, MD
Grier is a pediatric oncologist and specializes in the treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors including Ewing’s sarcoma, osteosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. He is the former associate chief of Pediatric Clinical Oncology and a Professor at Harvard Medical School. He now sees patients part-time in the Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors Program.
- Harry P. W. Kozakewich, MD
Kozakewich is a pathologist and specialist in cytopathology, pediatric pathology and vascular pathology. He is the director of the Cytopathology and Autopsy Pathology Program.
- Katherine Janeway, MD
Janeway is a pediatric hematologist-oncologist and investigator specializing in pediatric sarcomas particularly Ewing sarcoma, osteosarcoma, and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). She is conducting research into increasing treatment options for patients with sarcomas.
- Andrew Kung, MD, PhD
Kung is a pediatric hematologist oncologist and investigator specializing in pediatric cancers. The overarching goal of his research program is to move basic laboratory discoveries into clinical testing to advance the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancer.
- Horacio Padua, MD
Padua is a pediatric radiologist who specializes in interventional radiology and cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and genitourinary radiology. He is the clinical director of the Interventional Radiology Division and an Instructor in Radiology at Harvard Medical School.
- Antonio R. Perez-Atayde, MD
Perez-Atayde is a pediatric pathologist and an associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School.
- Charles M. Roberts, MD, PhD
Roberts is a pediatric hematologist oncologist and investigator specializing in pediatric cancers, including rhabdoid tumors. His research group focuses on the molecular and genetic causes of pediatric cancers.
- Kimberly Stegmaier, MD
Stegmaier is a pediatric hematologist oncologist and investigator specializing in pediatric cancers including Ewing sarcoma. Her research group focuses on the molecular and genetic causes of pediatric cancers.
- Stephan D. Voss, MD, PhD
Voss is a staff radiology and researcher. His research focuses on developing new methods for imaging malignant disease, specifically pediatric neuroblastoma.
- Sara Swain, RN, BSN
Swain is a nurse in the Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Program. She specializes in general pediatric orthopedics.
Clinical Research
The main objective of our research program is to improve the understanding of bone and soft tissue cancers and develop new ways to treat children with these conditions. We participate in internal research initiatives as well as those directed by the Children’s Oncology Group, an international research collaboration.
Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s is a world leader in opening new avenues of translational research, which brings laboratory advances to the bedside and doctor's office as quickly as possible.
All senior medical staff of the Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors Program participate in clinical research activities. Our program director, Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, is also the co-director of our new Clinical and Translational Investigation Program, which aims to dramatically improve translational research in pediatric hematology and oncology.
Clinical trials
Clinical trials evaluate the effectiveness of new cancer treatments. The Bone and Soft Tissue Program participates in several multi-center national clinical trials.
Research
In addition to a wide variety of clinical trials, Dana-Farber/Boston Children's also conducts extensive laboratory research to identify new treatments and improve therapies for bone and soft tissue tumors.
In the past 20 years, there has only been one new treatment introduced for young patients with osteosarcoma. In addition, children who relapse or who develop lung metastases have fewer effective treatment options. To remedy this, Katherine Janeway, MD, a pediatric oncologist and researcher, is conducting research to identify new treatments for osteosarcoma.
Children’s Oncology Group
Dana-Farber/Boston Children's is the New England Phase I Center of the Children's Oncology Group. If your child has progressive or recurrent bone or soft tissue tumor, he or she may be eligible for a number of experimental therapies available through these groups, or through one of our independent clinical investigators.
The Children's Oncology Group is a consortium of cancer treatment centers across the United States, Canada, and other countries, that conduct studies of Ewing sarcoma, osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and other soft tissue sarcomas. Our participation in the Children’s Oncology Group gives children with bone and soft tissue tumors unparalleled access to the newest clinical trials.
Survivorship and long-term follow-up care
The long-term outcome for children with soft tissue and bone tumors is improving. How well each child does depends on a variety of factors, including the type of tumor and whether the disease has spread (metastasized) by the time of diagnosis. Our research continues to help us understand the causes of cancer so we can develop more targeted, effective therapies.
The David B. Perini Quality of Life Clinic helps survivors of childhood cancer of all ages address the medical, psychological and social consequences of their diagnosis and treatment. Childhood cancer survivors who have been out of active treatment for two years are invited to visit our clinic for follow-up care.
Contact Us
Referring physicians: 617-632-5508 or 1-888-Pedi-Onc (733-4662)
New patients and second opinions
We understand a cancer diagnosis is extremely difficult to cope with. We are available to offer a consultation or second opinion for your child.
If your child has a diagnosis of bone or soft tissue cancer, please contact our program at 888-PEDI-ONC (888-733-4662).
To help us conduct a precise evaluation, it’s important we receive a full summary of your child's initial diagnosis. This includes any laboratory or pathology reports, any x-ray, radiographic or MRI images and a list of any previous treatments your child may have received. Please have as much of the following information gathered as possible when you call or bring it with you to your appointment:
Patient summary
- your child’s date of birth
- your address
- parent or guardian contact information
- insurance information
Complete clinical summary
- physician's name and contact information
- diagnosis, or working diagnosis, and list of presenting symptoms
- MRI/CAT scan films
- pathology slides and reports
- operative note, if surgery was performed
- radiation therapeutic summary, if your child had radiation
- comprehensive list of previous chemotherapeutic agents, with dates and doses, if your child had chemotherapy
Mailing addresses
Boston Children's Hospital
300 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
450 Brookline Ave.
Boston, MA 02215