Sarcoma patients treated at specialist centers have a 32% lower risk of death. Most can’t afford the trip to get there.
Sarcoma is rare. About 17,000 new diagnoses per year in the United States. Because it’s rare, most hospitals don’t specialize in it. A general oncologist may see one or two sarcoma patients in a career. A sarcoma specialist sees hundreds.
That difference in expertise translates directly into survival outcomes. Patients treated at specialist sarcoma centers have measurably better outcomes than patients treated at community hospitals without sarcoma specialization.
Travel to a specialist means flights, hotels, ground transportation, and time away from work. For a family already dealing with a devastating diagnosis, those costs decide whether they go or stay home.
I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma while serving in the Navy, stationed in San Diego. UC San Diego Health, an NCI-designated cancer center that treats over 150 sarcoma cases a year, was 15 miles from where I lived. I got specialist care because of proximity. Not because of anything I did.
Most sarcoma patients don’t have that. Specialist sarcoma centers are concentrated in major metro areas, and most patients don’t live near one. That means flights, hotels, and time off work to reach the surgeon or oncologist who actually treats your cancer regularly.
After treatment, I saw a clear need for an organization that covers those travel costs. No one was doing it specifically for sarcoma patients. So I built one.
We’re all volunteers. Your donation pays for a patient’s flight, hotel, or ride to a specialist center.