A Gym Teacher Told This 14-Year-Old Ohio Student He Had Shin Splints; It Was Actually Bone Cancer

Perry's family had just made the bold choice to pick up and move from New Bedford, Mass. to Boardman, Ohio. They were searching for a stronger school district, a lower cost of living, and a safer environment for raising their five children. Speaking with WKBN First News, Alex Perry's father Nicholas said, "One time, I saw my neighbor almost beat a guy to death in the street."

The Perry family was feeling optimistic about their move until Alex came home from school complaining of ankle pain. They had no way of knowing the life-changing news that was right in front of them. "It was hurting really bad," Perry said. "I realized it during gym when we had to do a one mile run. My gym teacher said it was a shin splint. We thought it would go away soon but it didn't."

Alex's parents dismissed the issue as the kind of minor injury children get. But after weeks, the pain still hadn't gone away. "I looked at his ankle, it was really swollen, the tips of his toes were starting to twitch," Alex's father said.

At just 14, Perry was diagnosed with stage three aggressive bone cancer. "At first, we were pretty scared. They also told us it had moved into his lungs," Perry's father said. But after going through chemotherapy, there was no evidence of cancer in his lungs.

The cancer had eaten away 80% of the bone in the teenager's ankle and he will have to have his leg amputated, but he's facing the surgery with remarkable bravery. "I know after a certain thing happens, I'm going to be completely fine," he said. "I'm not worried at all about the future."

Sarcoma Symptoms

The main symptom of sarcoma is a slow-growing, painless mass, which makes it hard for many to detect until the later stages of the disease.

"Unfortunately, most sarcomas do not cause many of the symptoms that may be associated with other cancers," Dr. Dale Shepard, director of the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute Phase I and Sarcoma Programs, previously told SurvivorNet.

Shepard explained that this often leads to large tumors at the time of diagnosis.

"Soft tissue sarcomas are typically painless," Dr. Shepard explained. "Bone sarcomas may be mistaken for orthopedic injuries. A mass the size of a golf ball or larger and growing should be evaluated as a potential sarcoma. Patients who do have symptoms mustn't be dismissive of them."

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Types of Sarcomas

The word sarcoma refers to a large array of bone and soft tissue cancers, and those are then further broken down into more specific forms of the disease, including:

Ewing's sarcoma

A cancer that typically occurs in and around the bones, often in the arms or legs, or the bones of the pelvis. It most commonly occurs in children and young adults.

Kaposi sarcoma

A very rare type of cancer that causes lesions on the skin, in lymph nodes, organs, and the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, and throat. It typically affects people with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV.

Epithelioid sarcoma

A soft tissue cancer that grows slowly. It is likely to begin under the skin of areas like the finger, hand, forearm, lower part of the leg, or foot.

Synovial sarcoma

Also known as a malignant (cancerous) synovioma, this is a cancer that can form soft tissues such as muscle or ligaments, commonly close to joints or in areas like the arm, leg, or foot.

Osteogenic sarcoma

Also known as osteosarcoma, this cancer forms in the bone and is most common in young children.

Spindle cell sarcoma

A rare form of the disease that accounts for less than 2% of all primary bone cancer cases. It’s most common in adults over 40 and often forms in the bones of the arms, legs, and pelvis.

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Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

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