Sarcoma treatment at Ohio State helped a teen return to life as a college student, and led her to a new calling as an advocate for patients in her home country of Ecuador. In 2020, Andrea Najas was trying out new ways to fill time amid pandemic-caused lockdowns. “I started to do some workouts and moving a lot more, and I developed this strange, sharp pain above my knee,” Andrea recalls. “I didn’t think much of it at first, but one afternoon, I couldn’t move my leg at all. That’s when I started to get really concerned.” After a trip to a physical therapist led to an MRI, Andrea received news no teen expects to hear. “I heard one of the doctors say, ‘Don’t go to the orthopedist, go to an oncologist.’ That’s how I found out that I was diagnosed with cancer.” The news shocked the entire family, including Andrea’s father, Jose Ricardo Najas. “We have three daughters — Andrea’s the youngest of them. It was a very scary time,” Jose Ricardo says. After the initial shock of the diagnosis, Jose Ricardo reached out to an old friend who works at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. “We bought the tickets the next day, and we were in Columbus on Saturday,” he says. “We met with Dr. Mayerson on Monday, and Tuesday she had her her biopsy, and that’s when we got confirmation that she had an osteosarcoma.” Click here to learn more about sarcoma, including risks, symptoms and treatment options at the OSUCCC – James. Sarcoma support for young patients Joel Mayerson, MD, and his OSUCCC – James colleagues are among the world’s leaders in the treatment of sarcoma, which disproportionately affects young patients. “Younger patients that have cancer have special needs that we address with our adolescent and young adult (AYA) program,” Mayerson says. “The AYA team helps with the challenges of dealing with cancer at such a young age, which allows us, as physicians, to optimize our patients’ care.” AYA support was a core component of Andrea’s treatment as she adjusted to life as a cancer patient in a new country. “Having psychological help is very important — having someone that is a professional in the area, just to calm you down and take you through the whole situation,” she says. “Hearing the word ‘cancer’ when you’re a teenager is a lot. So having someone walk you through the process and bring peace is very important.” Because of the expertise of Mayerson and his sarcoma team, Andrea quickly began a personalized, comprehensive course of treatment. Eventually, she was able to resume life as a young college student, while launching a new effort to improve sarcoma care in Ecuador. “Andrea’s light bulb went on, and she said, ‘Why don’t we do something to create awareness of what osteosarcoma is, and then to help with operations on patients,’” Jose Ricardo says. Andrea and Jose Ricardo would soon team with Mayerson again to develop a program that would bring an Ecuadorian physician to the OSUCCC – James to learn from Ohio State sarcoma specialists. “Raising awareness and capability can create opportunities to give everybody the best care, which they deserve,” Andrea says. Click here to learn more about the OSUCCC – James’ adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer program. Tomorrow’s sarcoma treatments for today’s patients Rare cancers require unique care, so Ohio State’s sarcoma team includes a variety of surgeons, researchers, supportive care specialists and more, each dedicated to improving the treatment of these relatively uncommon conditions. “The James Sarcoma Program has multiple specialists in every medical discipline that care for sarcoma patients and make sure they’re getting the best cutting-edge treatments,” Mayerson says. Many Ohio State sarcoma patients benefit from innovative treatments through clinical trials, which provide novel therapies before they’re widely available. As an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, the OSUCCC – James combines research and care at one facility, allowing oncologists to seamlessly enroll patients in potentially-groundbreaking studies. “We’ve developed a multidisciplinary team representing every medical specialty, giving many patients access to sarcoma clinical trials,” Mayerson says. No matter what therapies are used, treatment begins with diagnosis, and as is the case with most medical conditions, early detection of sarcoma can help improve the chances of successful outcomes. That’s why Andrea is encouraging others to be aware of the symptoms of potential health issues, no matter their ages. “If something weird is happening with your body, it’s very important to go check it out as fast as you can, just so you know you’re good or you’re catching anything in time,” she says. “If something is not normal, the best idea is to check it out with a doctor instead of ignoring it. That’s my advice to anyone, be it a kid, teen or adult — never ignore your symptoms.” Click here to learn more about cancer clinical trials at the OSUCCC – James.