For Elyssa Bourne, Tuesday night was a dream come true as she had many reasons to rejoice! After being diagnosed at the age of 13 with a “Ewing’s like” sarcoma, she received a recent report with her first cancer-free scans in several years and was able to celebrate a major milestone – her 25th birthday.
As the featured patient advocate who presented her story at the Northwell Health Orthopaedic Musculoskeletal Oncology Program’s Sarcoma Awareness and Patient Appreciation reception, she delivered a message of determination and strength as she spent half of her life dedicated to treatment, surgeries and survivorship.
During her lifetime, she suffered three relapses and had several rounds of chemotherapy, a hip replacement, and back and femur surgery. She’s never let her diagnosis get in the way of her dreams. Despite her illness, Elyssa graduated from SUNY Albany and is currently in her final year at Pace University where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Higher Education.
Sarcomas — which arise from connective tissue such as bones, fat, cartilage and muscle — are often called “the forgotten cancer” because they make up just 1 percent of all cancers. They are a group of over 50 different types of cancer affecting different parts of the body.
“Sarcoma awareness month is nationally recognized and highlights our focus and dedication to sarcoma treatment,” said Nicholas A. Sgaglione, MD, chairman of the Northwell Department of Orthopedic Surgery, senior vice president for Orthopaedics and executive director of the Northwell Orthopaedic Institute in New York. “We are proud to have our Northwell Health system, our hospitals like LIJ Medical Center, as well as our department of orthopedics all behind the extraordinary efforts to manage these complex problems and do so in a multidisciplinary, high-quality and clinically effective way. These initiatives bring together patients, physicians and therapists, and represent the best care in our region for this special group of patients.”
Each year, about 1,000 new cases of osteosarcoma are diagnosed. About half of these are in children and teens between the ages of 10 and 30. About 1 in 10 osteosarcomas occur in people older than 60.
Northwell Health Orthopaedics and the Northwell Health Cancer Institute are focused on the research and education of sarcoma.
For more information about the Northwell Health Orthopaedic Institute Musculoskeletal Oncology Department and our services, please visit https://www.northwell.edu/orthopaedic-institute/specialties/musculoskeletal-oncology
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