Orthopedic Oncology: Team
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Your orthopedic oncology team
When fighting any form of bone cancer, it is important to surround yourself with a multidisciplinary team of cancer specialists. Your care team should be experienced in treating tumors of the musculoskeletal system and providing quality of life care. One important member of your care team is an orthopedic oncologist.
Because of the rarity of primary bone tumors, there are a limited number of orthopedic oncologists in the country. CTCA at Eastern Regional Medical Center is proud to be one of the few cancer hospitals on the East Coast to have an orthopedic oncologist on staff.
Dr. Schmidt has been internationally recognized for his expertise in orthopedic cancers. An expert in the field for over 20 years, Dr. Schmidt has been in private practice in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania since 1993. When a CTCA facility in Philadelphia opened its doors in 2005, Dr. Schmidt says he was eager to provide his services.
“What I like most about CTCA is its positive attitude and positive outlook when dealing with the cancer patient. It’s a can-do approach. And the optimistic, positive, can-do feeling reflects back on the patient. CTCA is very ‘make it happen.’ That is refreshing,” says Dr. Schmidt.
Dr. Schmidt and the rest of the orthopedic oncology team, including his wife, Nancy Haber, an orthopedic oncology nurse with 25 years experience, provide exceptional whole-person care to CTCA patients each day. This includes advanced treatments for primary bone and soft tissue sarcomas and metastatic cancer, as well as care for orthopedic issues.
The rest of your care team
In addition to the orthopedic oncology team, your care team extends to cancer specialists in other areas. This includes medical and radiation oncologists, as well as oncology dietitians, naturopathic clinicians, pain specialists, and rehabilitation therapists.
Each member of your care team will address your other needs throughout treatment to ensure you receive care for the whole person, not just the disease. “We believe that doctors cannot exist without all the other services and support system around them,” says Haber.
Coordinating your care
During every step of your care, Dr. Schmidt and his team will meet regularly with your medical and radiation oncologists, as well as your dietitians, naturopathic clinicians, pain specialists, rehabilitation therapists, mind-body therapists, and pastoral care staff. They will work together to deliver an appropriate combination of treatments. This regular collaboration ensures you receive the best coordinated care possible.
“It’s a team approach, which is very important. It’s all the different specialists working together as a team for the patient, to come up with a comprehensive treatment plan that is geared just for them,” says Dr. Schmidt.
From your viewpoint, your treatment plan will be completely seamless so you can focus solely on healing.
