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Sarcoma is a form of cancer that can occur anywhere in your body.
Sarcoma is a generic word for a group of tumors that develop in the bones and soft (also known as connective) tissues (soft tissue sarcoma). Soft tissue sarcoma develops in the tissues that link, support, and surround other parts of the body. This contains muscle, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons, and joint lining.
Sarcomas are classified into more than 70 different categories. Sarcoma treatment varies depending on the type of sarcoma, its location, and other considerations.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF SARCOMA?
- Angiosarcoma
- Chondrosarcoma
- Protuberans dermatofibrosarcoma
- Small round cell desmoplastic tumors
- Epithelioid sarcoma
- Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors
- Myxofibrosarcoma
- Osteosarcoma
- Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Sarcoma of the soft tissues
- a single fibrous tumor
- Sarcoma of the synovium
- Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma
- Ewing sarcoma
- Stromal tumor of the intestine (GIST)
- Kaposi's sarcoma
- Leiomyosarcoma
- Liposarcoma
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF SARCOMA?
Sarcoma symptoms and signs include:
- A bump that may be felt through the skin that is either painful or not.
- Bone pain
- A fractured bone that occurs unexpectedly, such as as a result of a mild injury or no injury at all.
- Pain in the abdomen
- Loss of weight
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF SARCOMA?
It is unknown what causes the majority of sarcomas.
Cancer develops when changes (mutations) occur in the DNA of cells. Inside a cell, DNA is packaged into many separate genes, each of which includes a set of instructions informing the cell what functions to execute as well as how to grow and divide.
Mutations may instruct cells to expand and divide uncontrollably, allowing them to live when normal cells would perish. If this occurs, the aberrant cells that accumulate can become a tumor. Cells can separate and spread to different places of the body (metastasize).
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR SARCOMA?
The following factors can raise the risk of sarcoma:
Syndromes that are inherited: Some cancer-risk disorders can be passed down from parents to children. Familial retinoblastoma and neurofibromatosis type 1 are two conditions that enhance the risk of sarcoma.
Cancer radiation therapy: Radiation therapy for cancer raises the risk of developing a sarcoma later in life.
Chronic swelling (lymphedema): Lymphedema is swelling produced by a buildup of lymph fluid when the lymphatic system becomes clogged or injured. It raises the chance of angiosarcoma, a kind of sarcoma.
Chemical exposure: Certain substances, such as some industrial chemicals and pesticides, can raise the risk of liver sarcoma.
Virus exposure: In persons with compromised immune systems, the virus known as human herpesvirus 8 can raise the risk of Kaposi's sarcoma.
HOW IS SARCOMA DIAGNOSED?
The following tests and methods are used to diagnose sarcoma and estimate its extent (stage):
- A physical examination: Your doctor will most likely perform a physical exam to help you understand your symptoms and look for any signs that can aid in your diagnosis.
- Imaging tests: Which imaging tests are appropriate for you will be determined by your situation. Some diagnostics, such as X-rays, are more effective at detecting bone issues. Other techniques, such as MRI, are more effective at detecting connective tissue issues. Other imaging procedures that may be performed include ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), bone scans, and positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
- Taking a tissue sample for testing (biopsy): A biopsy is a technique that involves removing a portion of questionable tissue for laboratory testing. Advanced laboratory testing can detect whether the cells are malignant and whatever type of cancer they represent. Tests can also disclose information that can be used to select the best therapies.
The method used to get a biopsy sample is dependent on your specific situation. It could be removed with a needle inserted through the skin or surgically removed. A biopsy is sometimes performed concurrently with cancer removal surgery.
If your doctor finds that you have sarcoma, he or she may advise you to undergo additional tests to search for evidence that the cancer has spread.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS FOR SARCOMA?
Surgery to remove the cancer is frequently used to treat sarcoma. Other treatments may be done before to or following surgery. The best treatment for you will be determined by the type of sarcoma, its location, the aggressiveness of the cells, and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
Sarcoma treatment may include:
- Surgery: The goal of sarcoma surgery is to eliminate all malignant cells. To remove all of the cancer, it may be essential to amputate an arm or leg, but doctors strive to preserve limb function if possible. Sometimes it is impossible to remove all of the cancer without causing harm to vital structures such as nerves or organs. In these cases, doctors attempt to remove as much of the sarcoma as feasible.
- Radiation therapy: To kill cancer cells, high-powered radiation beams such as X-rays and protons are used. The radiation could come from a gadget that moves about your body, directing energy beams (external beam radiation). Alternatively, the radiation may be temporarily implanted in your body (brachytherapy). Radiation is sometimes used during surgery to remove cancer (intraoperative radiation).
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a type of medication treatment that employs the use of chemicals to kill cancer cells. Some forms of sarcoma are more likely than others to react to chemotherapy.
- Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy is a type of pharmacological treatment that use medications that target specific deficiencies in cancer cells. Your sarcoma cells may be analyzed to discover if they are likely to respond to targeted treatment medications.
- Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that use your immune system to combat the disease. Because cancer cells create proteins that blind immune system cells, your body's disease-fighting immune system may fail to combat your cancer. Immunotherapy medicines act by disrupting this mechanism.
- Ablation therapy: Ablation therapy therapies destroy cancer cells by heating them with electricity, freezing them with very cold liquid, or damaging them with high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations.
CONCLUSION
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with sarcoma, listen to your doctor's instructions and stick to your treatment plan. Recognize that there are therapy choices accessible.
As upsetting as a sarcoma diagnosis can be, new treatments are being developed on an annual basis that improve both life times and disease-free survival, even in people with stage 4 disease. Drugs that target rare types of sarcoma are becoming more widely available. Consult your healthcare practitioner to learn about your treatment choices.