What is sarcoma?
Sarcoma is a type of cancer that can occur in various locations in your body.
Sarcoma is the general term for a broad group of cancers that begin in the bones and in the soft (also called connective) tissues.
There are more than 70 types of sarcoma.
Types of sarcoma:
- Angiosarcoma
- Chondrosarcoma
- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
- Epithelioid sarcoma
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)
- Kaposi's sarcoma
- Leiomyosarcoma
- Liposarcoma
- Osteosarcoma
- Synovial sarcoma
- Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of sarcoma include:
- A lump that can be felt through the skin that may or may not be painful
- Bone pain
- A broken bone that happens unexpectedly, such as with a minor injury or no injury at all
- Abdominal pain
- Weight loss
It's not clear what causes most sarcomas.
Factors that can increase the risk of sarcoma include:
- Inherited syndromes.
- Radiation therapy for cancer.
- Chronic swelling (lymphedema).
- Exposure to chemicals.
- Exposure to viruses.
Diagnosis
Tests and procedures used to diagnose sarcoma and determine its extent (stage) include:
- Imaging tests. X-ray, MRI, ultrasound, CT, bone scans and positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
- Removing a sample of tissue for testing (biopsy). Which type is effective? This is prescribed by the doctor (individually) according to the state of health.
Once your doctor determines you have sarcoma, he or she might recommend additional tests to look for signs that the cancer has spread.
Treatment
Sarcoma is usually treated with surgery to remove the cancer. Which treatments are best for you will depend on the type of sarcoma, its location, how aggressive the cells are and whether cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
Treatment for sarcoma might involve:
- Surgery.
- Radiation therapy.
- Chemotherapy.
- Targeted therapy.
- Immunotherapy.
- Ablation therapy.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sarcoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20351048
