Asking questions is a great way to learn, exchange ideas, and discover new information. During our recent Ask the Experts webinar, we were joined by a panel of chordoma experts who provided helpful and informative answers to questions from chordoma patients and their loved ones.

We’ve already heard from a number of attendees who found the Ask the Experts webinar very valuable, and we are now pleased to share the recording of the webinar so all who are interested can take a look. The webinar was 90 minutes, but from the number of questions we received about chordoma and chordoma treatment, it’s clear we could have gone for another hour or more!

We think you’ll find the information shared in the Ask the Experts webinar is a great resource. Here are some of the key takeaways from the experts’ answers:

• There is much to be hopeful about! Understanding of the biology of chordoma has grown immensely in the past few years. The recent International Chordoma Research Workshop (ICRW) made it clear just how far we’ve come and how dedicated the clinician and researcher community is to collaboratively finding new and better treatment options. Recent advances have made it possible to tailor treatments which, together with better survivorship programs, are helping improve patients’ quality of life after treatment.
• Appropriate initial treatment of chordoma is of utmost importance. Chordoma must be treated correctly from the beginning, by doctors who have substantial experience treating it.
• Chordoma expertise is critical no matter the type of treatment. All doctors on your multidisciplinary care team should be chordoma experts, including the pathologist who diagnoses the tumor and the radiologist who reviews your MRI and CT images. It’s important for all members of the team to talk to each other and include you in those conversations as well.
• Second opinions are valuable and can now be done virtually. The COVID-19 pandemic has led many doctors and hospitals to ease restrictions on providing virtual or telehealth visits. This has made it much easier to consult with multiple doctors when making treatment decisions.
• It is sometimes possible to have radiation a second time. However, there are serious risks involved that should be discussed with your doctor. It is essential for your radiation oncologist to have experience treating chordoma specifically, not just experience using a certain type of radiation.
• Your relationship with your care team should be lifelong. Continued follow-up care and monitoring are critical to identifying possible recurrences and there may be secondary problems from treatment as well as quality of life issues that need to be addressed. Your chordoma doctors want to know how you’re doing and are here for you.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this informative webinar and submitted questions to the panelists. If you have questions about chordoma, please contact our Patient Navigator at chordoma.org/request-help. We are here to help!

At our Chordoma Community Conferences, the Ask the Experts panel is one of the most valuable and well-attended sessions. Because this year’s conference was postponed due to the pandemic, we were pleased to be able to offer this important session virtually. 

Stay tuned for more webinars in the coming months!