Orthopedic Oncology: Quality of Life
Learn More About Orthopedic Oncology at Eastern: Chat with Us | Email Us
Quality of life therapies
Dr. Schmidt and his team also understand that caring for you means caring for all of you, not just the part of the body affected by the disease. “At CTCA, we look at the patient as a whole person,” says Dr. Schmidt. “It’s not only our surgical techniques. We understand what the cancer patient is going through,” adds Haber.
While they help you fight cancer, the orthopedic oncology team will collaborate with the rest of your CTCA care team to help relieve your pain, restore your independence, and improve your overall quality of life. “Quality of life is very important. Our goal is to get people out of pain, and up and moving as soon as possible,” says Haber.
The orthopedic oncology team also provides general orthopedic care. Dr. Schmidt will address any orthopedic problems you may be experiencing, such as osteoporosis or arthritis, in addition to the cancer or alongside your cancer treatment.
For instance, if you are fighting a cancer other than bone cancer and you are experiencing hip pain from arthritis, Dr. Schmidt can help. “We are actually talking about orthopedic care for the oncology patient,” he says.
Throughout your treatment, you will also receive complementary medicine therapies, such as nutrition therapy, naturopathic medicine, pain management, oncology rehabilitation, mind-body medicine, and spiritual counseling. These therapies can help reduce treatment-related side effects, such as nausea and fatigue, so you can maintain your quality of life.