Our Stories

Make no Bones

Spine, joint replacement and now musculoskeletal tumour - Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong launched its third specialty centre on 24 September to deal with complex malignant tumours that originate in bone or soft tissues such as the muscle and cartilage.

A multidisciplinary team is set up to provide proper diagnosis and treatment to this disease that is often neglected due to low public awareness.

Statistics from the Hong Kong Cancer Registry show that malignant musculoskeletal tumours are uncommon, with only about 250 new cases per year. As a result, public awareness is low and the risk of misdiagnosis is high and may worsen with lack of proper surgery and treatment.

Without proper image scanning and pathological examinations, musculoskeletal tumours can be easily misdiagnosed. A hastily planned surgery without concrete diagnosis also exposes the patient to unnecessary risks, including the possible spread of tumour cells during surgery. This could increase the complexity of subsequent surgeries, and may even require amputation due to lack of proper treatment or affect patients’ survival rates."
- Dr Timothy So, Director of the Musculoskeletal Tumour Centre and Honorary Consultant in Orthopaedics & Traumatology at Gleneagles Hong Kong Hospital