VCS Sarcoma Center

 

Overview

The Virginia Cancer Specialist Sarcoma Center brings together a talented group of physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers who are focused on the treatment of musculoskeletal malignancies. 

We treat a high volume of patients with sarcomas. More than 2 out 3 patients with sarcomas in Northern Virginia are treated at our center.  Patients come to us from Maryland, Virginia & the District and from a large geographic area, from the West Virginia to the Delaware border. 

Sarcoma Team

Treatment for sarcomas is a team effort between surgeons, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists. Children with sarcomas are treated in conjunction with pediatric oncologists.Our sarcoma team holds twice monthly conferences (“tumor boards”) to discuss sarcoma patients. These are invaluable in reviewing diagnostic information and coordinating treatment among the different specialists. 

 Read more about sarcoma basics here.

Clinical Coordinator

Cathie Passero RN, MSN, CCRN, guides patients through the steps of biopsy, radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy while providing the necessary psychosocial support and education.

Orthopedic Oncology

Dr. Felasfa Wodajo is a fellowship-trained Orthopedic Oncologist with deep expertise in musculoskeletal tumor diagnosis, resections of bone and soft tissue tumors of extremities & pelvis as well as endoprosthetic & allograft reconstruction of bones and joints.  

Adult Medical Oncology

Dr. Alex Spira is also director of the VCS Research Institute and the Phase I Trial Program, in addition to his deep expertise in sarcoma. He has led drug trials for new sarcoma drugs at VCS and was co-author of the recent publication reporting results of Eribulin for sarcoma in the prestigious Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Radiation Oncology

Dr. Gregory Sibley and Dr. Harold Agbahiwe head up the VCS Radiation Oncology department. Before joining VCS, Dr. Sibley was attending  Radiation Oncologist and chair of the Cancer Committee at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. for 14 years. Dr. Agbahiwe previously served on faculty at the Johns Hopkins Department of Radiation Oncology and at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC

Other team members include:

Pathology

  • Mahtab Tehrani, MD
  • Hoah Vinh, MD

Musculoskeletal Radiology

  • Steven Meyers, MD
  • Ravi Kamath, MD
  • William Astor, MD
  • Kevin Johnson, MD

Pediatric Oncology

  • Chris Lawlor, MD
  • Niccole Piguet, MD
  • Carly Varela, MD

General Surgery

  • Timothy Shavers, MD

Interventional Radiology

  • Alain Drooz, MD

Plastic Surgery

  • Reza Mirali, MD 

Urology

  • Simon Chung, MD

In addition to the physicians on the care team, Life With Cancer  helps patients with education, support and assistance, and professional staff consultations. Our clinical coordinator organizes twice a year dinner gatherings for survivors of sarcoma and their families.  For patients who need specialized rehabilitation are referred to STAR rehabilitation programs which are designed specifically for patients with cancer, combining physical and occupational therapy with lymphedema therapy. 

Inova Fairfax Hospital

Patients undergo surgery and inpatient chemotherapy at Inova Fairfax Hospital. Children are admitted to the new Inova Childrens Hospital. All inpatient rooms are private. 

TREATMENT PHILOSOPHY

Being suspected or diagnosed with a cancer provokes great anxiety for patients. As parents and family caregivers, we have experienced some of these anxieties ourselves and strive to diminish them as much as possible for our patients. We do our best to understand and accommodate our patients' family and professional obligations to make their experience as smooth as possible. In between visits, we aim to be available by phone or email to answer questions, which inevitably multiply once the appointment is over. Our goal is to provide exceptional care throughout our patients' entire journey