The European Reference Network (ERN) is virtual network that involves healthcare professionals and health facilities in all of Europe. Its aim is facing rare and complex illness that need very specialised treatment in national centre.

The Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute is part of EURACAN, the network focused on rare solid tumors (bones cancers and soft tissues). The local Coordinator is Professor Davide Maria Donati, Director of 3rd Orthopaedic and Traumatologic Clinic prevalently Oncologic.

This type of tumors needs multidisciplinary local and national or international teams, composed by: orthopaedic surgeons, oncologists, pathologists, radiotherapists, general surgeons, specialized nurses, case managers. Every case has to manage by a different situation request, such as: type and causes of the illness, severity, curability and therapies. Indeed, an inadequate management increases very much the risks of complications or even the death of the patient.

As to define the central and enlarged multidisciplinary teams have been taken into consideration three elements:

• timely and accurate histological and molecular diagnosis;
• the involvement of patients in an efficient and excellent therapeutic route;
• the specific requirements of cancer treatments in each case.

The multidisciplinary discussion takes part through IT systems that enables to share the documents in compliance with the European GDPR (EU 2016/679 European Parliament).

Nowadays the “Sarcomas Team” of the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute cooperates in EURACAN network through the Clinica Patient Managment System (CPMS).

For information

Prof. Davide Maria Donati (davidemaria.donati@ior.it)
Tommaso Frisoni, MD (tommaso.frisoni@ior.it)