Javier’s Story

Ostoesarcoma at the proximal femur
Age at Diagnosis: 23
Date of Diagnosis: 1989

Diagnosis: I was a strong and healthy 23 year old man. In the summer of 1989, I began to have pain in my left knee. I would walk and all of a sudden my left leg would give in. Eventually the pain was on my left hip. I visited my family doctor and he did not pay much attention. You will not believe what he told me. He literally said, and I quote, “Everything is in your mind. You are young; go out and have fun.” But of course my pain was unbearable. I visited another doctor, and he referred me to a specialist. After many tests and a biopsy, I remember my doctor coming to me and saying, “You have CANCER.” I guess, like everybody else, when you first hear this word, you immediately relate to death. But to my surprise, I did not. I was scared of course, but also I was relieved that finally I knew what I had and I knew what I had to do to get better. Read more

David’s Story

Osteosarcoma at the Proximal Femur
Age at Diagnosis: 18
Year of Diagnosis: 1990
Location: France

Diagnosis: I had a swollen thigh after playing tennis. I saw doctor but had no x-ray, so nothing was diagnosed. Several months later pain in my leg got worse to the point that I couldn’t sleep well. After several sessions with chiropractor, I was sent to hospital. X-ray and further tests confirmed the bad news: Osteosarcoma of my right femur. Read more

Todd’s Story

Low-grade Osteosarcoma at the Proximal Femur
With lung mets
Age at Diagnosis: 33
Year of Diagnosis: 1987

Diagnosis: Some swelling in femur, pain, would go away, but then it started to hurt at night, while I was resting. I thought it was a raquetball injury. I went to a primary doctor who said it was a cyst and not to worry about it. But when the pain came at night, I decided to see a specialist. The orthopedic doctor also thought it was a cyst but took an x-ray. He came back into the exam room and his demeanor totally changed. The x-ray was “hot”, showed lots of activity, which is not what cysts do. He told me to take this quite seriously, only one doctor in Portland knew how to treat this. I was referred to Oregon Health and Sciences University. I had a biopsy, and surgery a couple weeks later. All told it was a month from discovery to surgery. It was a pretty stressful time. Read more

Kim’s Story

Osteosarcoma at the Proximal Femur
Age at Diagnosis: 41
Year of Diagnosis: 2004
Location: Texas, USA
Surgeon: Dr. Valerae Lewis at M.D. Anderson in Houston

Diagnosis: I fell on my right side in 2001, and my upper leg area was always sore thereafter. I was sent for x-rays, which noted a lesion of interest, and then to a sports doctor, who called the lesion a “red herring” and treated me for bursitis with corticosteroid injections. The treatment didn’t work, and I stopped it when I started trying to get pregnant. When I had my baby (first and now probably only) in 2003, I had gained 40 pounds and the pain was worse. After I lost weight I expected it to get better but it didn’t. Faced with an infant who was crawling and would be walking/running soon, I knew I had to find out what was going on and get it fixed. Read more

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