Contacted doctors and hospitals

1. Dr. M.E.Blackstein from Mount Sinai Hospital of Toronto, Canada. 
2. * Dr. Konstantin Dimitriadis, Director of Medical Oncology II "The Agenion" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece and his collaborator Dr. Ioannis Boukovinas. Via Dr. Dimitriadis, with Dr. G. Missenard, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France. 
3. Dr. Vini, Director of the Interbalkan European Medical Center in Thessaloniki, Greece. 
4. Dr. Vodnik, Onkoloski Institut of Ljubljana, Slovenia. 
5. Dr. Gaetano Bacci from the Rizzoli Instituti Ortopedici (Bologna), Italy. 
6. Dr. Capanna, Dr. De Biase and Dr. Piccioli, (Florence, Roma), Italy. 
7. Prof. Dr. Rainer Kotz and his collaborator Dr. Martin Dominkus, AKH Wien, Austria. 
8. Prof. Dr. Brodowicz and Prof. Dr. Zielinski, AKH Wien, Austria were also contacted through Prof. Dr. Branko Pikula, AKH Wien, Austria. 
9. * Dr. Oyvind S. Bruland from the Norwegian Radium Hospital of Oslo, Norway. 
10. Dr. Francius from the Muenster University Hospital in Germany, Dept. of Nuclear Medicine. 
11. Dr. Bielack from the University Children's Hospital Muenster, Germany, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, (COSS- Cooperative Osteosarkom-Studie Studienzentrale). 
12. Dr. rer. nat. Georgi Graschew, Scientific co-ordinator in the Surgical Research Unit OP 2000, Robert-Roessle-Klinik and Max-Delbrueck-Centrum of Moleculare Medicine Charite, Berlin, Germany. 
13. Dr. Friedrich R. Douwes, Medical Director of St. George Hospital, near Muenchen, Germany. 
14. Dr. Sophie Piperno-Neumann from the Institut Curie, Paris, France. 
15. * Dr. Kristin Weber, surgeon and Dr. Robert Benjamin, oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, TX, USA. 
16. * Dr. Constantine Karakousis, Director of Surgical Oncology, Kaleida Health/SUNY, Professor of Surgery, SUNY, USA. 
17. * Dr. Aziza Shad, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Director of Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Lombardi Cancer Center, USA. 
18. Dr. Felasfa Wodajo, Orthopedic Oncology, Washington Cancer Institute, Washington Hospital Center, USA. 
19. Dr. Francisco Bracho, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Georgetown University Hospital, Lombardi Cancer Center, USA. 
20. Violeta Dimovic, Chicago Mount Sinai Hospital, USA. 
21. * Dr. Prof. Ben L. Pfeifer, Director of Clinical Research, Aeskulap Cancer Center, Switzerland. 
22. Dr. Cui Yongqiang, Guang An Men Hospital, Beijing, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China. 
23. * Dr. Pasang Gyalmo Khangkar, Resident Physician at Dr. Lobsang Dolma Khangkar Memorial Clinic with Traditional Tibetan Medicine in Dharamsala Distt. Kangra, India.

Yahoo Chondrosarcoma group with a 100 members at the time and more than a 1000 mails with personal experiences.

   * Those contacts were most helpful in our situation.

   Borjan was suffering from Osteosarcoma with chondroblastic elements, in the pelvis. Due to the bad position of the tumor it was considered inoperable and made him paraplegic on 19th Sept. 2002. After his open biopsy made on 9th Sept. 2002 in Hopital Henri Mondor, in Paris, he developed metastases on the vertebral corpora very fast. He received radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the Department for Radiology & Oncology in Skopje Hospital in the period of 20th Sept. 2002 to 20th Feb. 2003. Radiotherapy was not helpful at all!! Chemotherapy consisted of Adryamicine (Doxorubicin), Cisplatin, Ifosfamide and Methotrexate. Though it was a severe chemotherapy, his body was regenerating fast and well thanks to different medicines and may be to some alternative therapies and food regimes. The chemotherapy cycles were often prolonged due to different infections(!). The large tumor mass reacted MOST to Ifosfamide. Unfortunately it seems the disease was discovered in an already advanced stage and he was not lucky (?) to have Ifosfamide for a 2nd time. That was the first step in the strategy for continuing life and improving the quality of life, made by our respected doctor - Dr. Boukovinas in the hospital in Thessaloniki (21st Feb. 2003 to 3rd March 2003).

   The only sign for the disease was discomfort in the right leg in the last 3 months before it was discovered and a high LDH. Also he had a tremor on his hands for 4 years!! He was in the College volley-ball team for 4 years and played other sports too. Always did medical check-ups. But the tumor could be discovered only with a MRI.

   Borjan suffered a lot, as do most sarcoma patients. But he stayed positive and optimistic till his very last breath. He lived for 6 months after the tumor was discovered; the prognosis of the doctors was even shorter.

   Do not loose hope and do not waste time, find immediately, not any oncologist, but the best Osteosarcoma Oncologist who is willing to fight with you with this very unpredictable type of cancer.

   We truly hope that one day research will finally make a significant step forward into finding a cure for this terrible disease.

   Good luck!

   Special gratitude:

   The only doctor who was with Borjan all the time, since his disease was diagnosed, was Dr. Toni Damevski – intensive care specialist, Clinical Center, Skopje and also father of Dame, Borjan’s best friend and roommate. He followed his disease every day, ready to help anytime, in any difficult situation. He was next to Borjan until the very end, supporting him and encouraging him. Borjan trusted him, loved him and without him Borjan would have suffered much more.
   Thank you Dr. Toni!