Fighting with a rare type of Cancer

For those who do not know me, I am Konstantinos Kimonas Tsetsos. I am 42 years old. I have two legs. For now.

One of those, the left one to be exact, developed a lump behind the knee about 12 months ago. The orthopedist diagnosed it as a myocele of the lower limb and advised meniscal cyst surgery. I had the surgery, but my left leg was getting worse and what was originally diagnosed as a myocele kept getting bigger and bigger. Many months and many medical examinations later, the myocele proved not to be a myocele, but a very rare type of cancer worldwide: Malignant mesenchymal tissue neoplasm of the extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma type, of 20 centimeters. It’s as awful as it sounds. Doctors in Greece and Europe recommended femoral amputation. But I wasn't quite ready to part with my left leg yet.

Following a lot of research on medical centers specializing in treating sarcomas and thanks to the financial help of my friends, I managed to visit the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, USA. The medical team in Texas – after a new round of tests – recommended targeted radiation followed by surgery to remove the tumor, promising a high success rate and excellent leg mobility. The radiation therapy could take place in Greece, so I have my treatment sessions in Greece. The surgery, however, after the completion of radiotherapy, can only be performed in the USA. This would be amazing if the cost of the surgery in Texas did not exceed 200,000$. But it does. So here we are, trying to raise the amount needed. This is the hard part, where I am going to need your help.

Any amount will be important so that I can continue the fight against this disease and keep introducing myself as “Konstantinos Kimonas. With two legs."