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>> I'm a medical oncologist and
I have a focus in treating sarcoma.
Sarcomas are tumors of connective tissue.
A connective tissue is really anything ranging
from muscle to that blood vessels,
so they're all considered connective tissues.
They account for about one percent of adult cancers
and 20-25 percent of pediatric cancers.
Because sarcomas are so rare,
it is really important to seek treatment at a center
that has specialists that have experience in sarcomas.
Once a week we have a team conference that we call Tumor Board.
All the different specialists that have a focus in
sarcoma get together and we present new cases.
CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis review.
We all review cases and come up with
a group consensus on
the best treatment approach for each individual.
My role is to manage chemotherapy and
other drug therapies that go
throughout the bloodstream in your whole system.
Chemotherapy is only one aspect of sarcoma treatment.
We use chemotherapy in different settings for sarcomas.
If a tumor is difficult to remove by surgery,
we can use chemotherapy upfront to help shrink
a tumor to make it more easily removable by surgery.
We give chemotherapy after
surgery to help reduce the risk of recurrence.
For patients with metastatic disease or
advanced cancer that has spread to other organs,
chemotherapy is a vital part
because this is treatment that goes into
the bloodstream and can help
control cancer really anywhere in the body.
A lot of chemotherapy nowadays is given
on an outpatient basis in the infusion centers,
so patients come to get their chemotherapy and go home.
For sarcomas, we do use continuous infusions of chemotherapy
that have to be given in
the hospital usually over four or five days.
Is just a closer level of
monitoring because it's a continuous infusion.
Chemotherapy does obviously have side effects.
Nausea we are usually good at controlling with nausea medicine.
>> I had a chemo class to go
over everything that would happen to your body,
from switching to a softer toothbrush to your hair
falling out and your appetite and everything in between.
>> Certain drugs do course hair loss and that is
something that can happen within
a couple of weeks of starting chemotherapy.
I always counsel patients on that just to be prepared for that.
We have fertility clinics
that work specifically with cancer patients.
Certain side effects like nausea may go away really quickly.
Hair growth might start back
maybe within a couple months after finishing.
Overall I would say within a few months,
patients start to feel like their normal selves again.
I think it's very important for patients
to engage their medical team
and to always feel comfortable
approaching their team with questions.
No question is too simple task in my opinion.
>> I think Dr. Boudadi is very good at
telling me like these are the things we know,
these are the things we don't know.
I don't know how he does it but he's
also able to move me out of some
of my panic into not panicking.
>> Other questions might be related to nutrition.
We have dietitians help answer those questions.
Also, social workers will help
address issues related to social support,
psychosocial support, caregiver help.
My patients become a very big part of my life and I'd
become a big part of their life as well
to help guide them throughout their treatment.
>> He's come to visit me personally
when I had been an in-patient for chemo.
I just really enjoy looking up and
seeing him and knowing that he took the time out
of his day to personally check and make
sure I'm in good shape and he's got my back.
I just really trust him with my care.
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