Lets hope for the best

Kruthika's operation has been fixed for this Thursday, April 17, 2008. Kruthika was admitted to hospital today.

We have met our deadline once again and thanks for all, who made it possible. We have been fortunate enough to get help from various people, from various domains. Every bit of help is much appreciated and we hope that all these efforts and goodwill will save one young life fighting for survival. Thanks much.

As we await the results of operation scheduled on 17th, we want to inform you of the possibilities of amputation versus prosthesis. When surgery is done in a cancer case, as far as possible, it should be complete excision, with all the margins of removal free of tumor. Otherwise it could recur, and is worse. When it is done in limb, as in Kruthika's case, it is of two types:- limb preserving surgery or limb resection (amputation). This is decided based on to what extent reasonable functional outcomes are expected if limb is preserved...at the same time, achieving complete resection is important too!! Incomplete removal requires post Operation radiotherapy also . Most importantly, Kruthika wont be 100 % functional, even with limb preservation

Limb preservation is worthwhile only when negative margins can be achieved. Otherwise, due to recurrence, patient will have to undergo second surgery on a later date, for amputation. (At the same time, local failure can be associated with spread elsewhere in the body too , which is disastrous) . Kruthika's MRI scan suggests that the tumor is extending to the soft tissues ( that means , it has gone beyond the bone , into the surrounding muscles/ tissues) , which means , resection is challenging. Only on operation table, doctor can see if he can achieve complete resection with limb preservation. Otherwise , he will have to go in for amputation.

We need to be very clear that in the best interest of Kruthika , amputation may be the only option and accept it. There is no second chance in such diseases.

Irrespective of amputation or limb preservation, Kruthika will be requiring further chemotherapy , as per the protocol for Ewing's sarcoma . The protocol has 3 parts , first part is induction chemotherapy, which she has completed , next will be tumor directed treatment , thats for now , with surgery, and then the third part is adjuvant chemotherapy. We still need your financial support for Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

Let us hope for the best and hope that everything will happen for good.