Osteosarcoma Treatment in Israel

Doctor

Head of Chemotherapy Department

When planning treatment, doctors take into consideration the results of molecular genetic testing of the tumor. This allows for the individualized selection of a therapy regimen most suitable for a specific case.

What To Expect From Osteosarcoma Diagnosis At Top Ichilov?

Day 1

An examination at Ichilov starts with consulting Doctor I. Molchanov, a diagnostician. The doctor examines the patient and reviews their medical documents and biopsy materials. The doctor compiles a health history, sends the slides to the laboratory for verification and refers the patient for further diagnostic procedures.

Day 2

The patient continues with the examination and undergoes:

Urinalysis and blood tests (including the tumor marker panel);
PET/CT, a procedure used to assess the spread of tumor into other tissues and organs with the highest accuracy.

MRI in Israel — *Equipment at the Imaging Department of Ichilov Medical Center*

Day 3

The patient consults Professor Merimsky, an oncologist specializing in this tumor type. He makes the final diagnosis and offers various treatment options.

Duration of diagnosis: 3-4 days. Price: $2,985.

✓ Right Now: Get your free consultation with a Top Ichilov physician

It is important to correctly determine the type of the disease before starting treatment in the country of residence. Consult an Israeli physician right now, free of charge. Find out the prices for the necessary diagnostic procedures in Top Ichilov.

How Is Osteosarcoma Treatment In Israel Different From Treatment In Eastern Europe?

Use of cutting-edge technologies to preserve the limb. In Israel, the removed parts of the bone are replaced with state-of-the-art endoprostheses. For children, cutting-edge extendable modular endoprostheses are used. They do not require additional surgery to extend them: the telescopic modules of these endoprostheses are modified remotely, with a special control unit.
Treatment by world-renowned experts. In the Eastern European countries, sarcoma treatment is usually provided by general specialists: oncologists and orthopedic surgeons. At Top Ichilov, patients are treated by Professor Ofer Merimsky, the world-renowned physician and scientist who devoted 30 years to osteosarcoma research and treatment.

Physicians Providing Osteosarcoma Treatment At Top Ichilov

Professor Ofer Merimsky, Head of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Clinic at Ichilov Medical Center. Has published about 160 research articles in medical journals in various countries of the world. Member of the Israeli, European, and American Cancer Societies.

Professor Jacob Bickels, specialist in orthopedic oncology, Head of Department at Ichilov Medical Center. Worked in the famous cancer centers in Israel and the USA. Provides unique surgery for osteosarcoma (placement of endoprostheses).

Doctor Julia Greenberg, radiation oncologist, senior physician of Oncology Department at Ichilov Medical Center. Provides sparing external beam radiation therapy for osteosarcoma using state-of-the-art linear accelerators.

Osteosarcoma Treatment Options In Israel

Surgery

To prevent recurrence, the tumor is removed with a thin margin of the surrounding healthy tissue. Just a while ago, amputation was the only treatment option for osteosarcoma. At present, if the tumor has not invaded nearby tissues and has not metastasized, Israeli surgeons perform limb-sparing surgery in 95% of cases.

Chemotherapy

This method is very important in osteosarcoma treatment. Studies show that the disease recurred in 80% of patients who did not receive chemotherapy after surgical removal of the tumor. In most cases, osteosarcoma is treated with combination chemotherapy comprising several drugs. As a rule, patients are prescribed high-dose methotrexate in combination with etoposide, cisplatin and other chemotherapy agents.

Radiation Therapy

Osteosarcoma cells do not respond well to radiation therapy. This means that tumor destruction requires high-dose radiation.

Chemotherapy in Israel — *At Ichilov Medical Center, patients receive chemotherapy at the Oncology Department Day Hospital*

Modern radiotherapy techniques allow for tumor targeting and reduce irradiation of the surrounding healthy tissues. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is one example of such treatment. During the procedure, beams are delivered to the tumor at different angles according to its shape. The beam intensity is also subject to modification in order to reduce the irradiation of healthy tissues. Researchers consider radiation therapy an important component of complex osteosarcoma therapy.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy drugs attack specific molecules in the cancer cells. Some of these drugs (monoclonal antibodies) are manmade counterparts of the immune system proteins. Monoclonal antibodies attach themselves to the specific cancer cell proteins and destroy them. These include dinutuximab, a medication used in osteosarcoma treatment.

Innovations In Osteosarcoma Treatment Used In Israel Since 2024

mTOR Inhibitors

These drugs prevent synthesis of the proteins that control growth and survival of cancer cells. The mTOR inhibitor class includes temsirolimus and everolimus. These medications have been successfully used to treat kidney cancer and other malignant tumors for over 10 years. Recent clinical trials have shown their effectiveness in osteosarcoma treatment.

Denosumab

This drug is a monoclonal antibody that targets the RANKL protein promoting bone tissue growth. In the past, it was only used to treat osteoporosis. Today, it has been proved effective in the treatment of primary bone tumors including osteosarcoma.