Jim Baumhart, of Palos Heights, started to notice back pain while playing golf in spring 2002. The pain extended down his left leg with sore spots above his knee, on top of his foot and at the base of his leg. His primary care physician first suggested physical therapy and steroid injections, but when those treatments did not relieve the pain, he ordered diagnostic tests. When an MRI scan revealed a tumor on his thighbone, Baumhart was immediately admitted to the hospital and referred to Timothy B. Rapp, M.D., director of musculoskeletal oncology at Loyola University Health System (LUHS). Rapp is one of the few orthopaedic surgeons in the Chicago area who has advanced training in treating adults and children with tumors of the bone, cartilage or muscle.
Prompt referral and treatment for bone cancer may have saved Baumhart's leg - and his life. Bone and muscle cancer often are noticed first as an unexplained lump, bump or pain in the arm or leg. If the vague, early warning signs are not thoroughly investigated and diagnosed, cancer may spread throughout the extremity and to other parts of the body.
While in the hospital, Baumhart underwent more diagnostic testing, including a PET scan, which more clearly revealed a large tumor that extended into the soft tissue surrounding his thighbone. After obtaining detailed images of the mass, Rapp performed a biopsy to make a definitive diagnosis and recommend a course of treatment. A biopsy is the removal and examination of a small piece of tissue from the tumor. It is a delicate procedure that requires advanced skill. "The biopsy needle must be placed correctly or else it may inadvertently contaminate the entire biopsy site with cancer," Rapp said. "An incorrectly performed biopsy also could make it difficult, if not impossible, to remove the tumor without costing a patient his limb."
Baumhart's tumor was diagnosed as chondrosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that starts in the cartilage. Rapp performed a seven-hour surgery last October to remove the 6-inch-wide tumor along with some surrounding muscle. He reconstructed the area with a titanium prosthesis, which is a metal replacement for the missing bone. Using the most advanced procedures and high-tech implants and prostheses, Rapp often can save arms and legs that would have required amputation years ago or with less advanced techniques today.
In Baumhart's case, no follow-up chemotherapy or radiation was recommended. He has worked diligently with a physical therapist to start walking again and was excited to get back on the golf course this spring. Baumhart is chief executive officer and president of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois and the brother of Rev. Raymond Baumhart, S.J., former president of Loyola University Chicago.
He and his family appreciate the care he received at LUHS and the warm relationship they have formed with Rapp. "I'm happy I have the opportunity to get back to doing the things I most enjoy," Baumhart said.
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