Sarcomas makeup only 1% of all adult cancer diagnoses in the U.S. Clear cell sarcoma is a rare cancer. It makes up 1% of all sarcoma cases. Clear cells can start in bones and soft tissue throughout the body.  

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Joel began his health battle in January 2017, when he first noticed a nagging pain in the heel of his right foot. He was given several different diagnoses and treatments after many visits to the ER, Urgent Care, and various clinics. Early diagnoses included bursitis, tendonitis, and deep tissue infection of the heel. His initial diagnoses were incorrect. After receiving treatment for those conditions, his symptoms remained.  

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With 7 months of treatment and non-improvement of symptoms, doctors finally decided to take an x-ray of his heel. An X-ray revealed that they needed to complete a biopsy of the area of complaint and Joel received his initial diagnosis of cancer with Ewing’s sarcoma in August 2017. Treatment for Ewing’s sarcoma ensued, and Joel took his first rounds of chemotherapy. 

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Early treatments held the cancer at bay but doctors soon recommended amputation of his limb to help prevent the spread of cancer throughout his body after 6 chemo treatments. On February 7, 2018, his affected leg was amputated. After his surgery, it was discovered that Joel was INITIALLY MISDIAGNOSED with Ewing’s sarcoma. Post-surgical pathology reports revealed that he had clear cell sarcoma. 

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After about a year he transferred care to The University of Kansas Cancer Center (KU) – Sarcoma under the care of the care of Dr. Howard Rosenthal, MD, FACS, and Dr. Benjamin Powers where he received the correct diagnosis of Clear Cell Sarcoma. Joel received excellent care from the Sarcoma team at KU.

 

With the new diagnosis of Clear cell sarcoma, his treatments changed yet again. Following amputation, Joel did well in fighting his cancer until the fall of 2020, when we discovered that the cancer metastasized to his lungs. New treatments began for his fresh diagnosis. In 2022, we discovered that the immunotherapy treatments that he was receiving were no longer effective against the tumors in his lungs. On February 22, 2023, his long-standing battle with cancer abruptly ended. 

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July is National Sarcoma Awareness Month and Joel’s birth month.  Our goal is to educate communities on this rare cancer.