Sarcoma is a rare type of tumor that can affect the skin, bones, internal organs, and soft tissues, such as muscles, tendons, and fat, for example. There are several types of sarcoma, which can be categorized according to their origin, such as liposarcoma, which originates in adipose tissue, and osteosarcoma, which originates in bone tissue.
Sarcomas can easily invade other places near their place of origin, making treatment difficult and compromising the quality of life of the person. For this reason, it is important that the diagnosis is made early and therefore the treatment can be determined according to the type of sarcoma, surgery for the removal of the sarcoma and, in some cases, chemotherapy or radiation therapy sessions.
- There are several types of sarcoma that are classified according to their place of origin.
- The main types are:.
In the early stages of sarcoma, there are usually no signs or symptoms, but as sarcoma develops and filters into other tissues and organs, symptoms may appear that vary depending on the type of sarcoma. Thus, we can notice the growth of a nodule in a certain area of the body that may or may not have pain, abdominal pain that worsens over time, the presence of blood in the stool or vomiting, for example.
The causes of sarcoma development vary depending on the type of sarcoma, however, in general, the development of sarcoma occurs more easily in people with genetic diseases, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome and neurofibromatosis type I, who have undergone chemotherapy or radiation therapy. or has been infected with the HIV virus or the human herpes virus type 8.
In addition, certain types of sarcoma, such as rhabdomyosarcoma, for example, can form during pregnancy, in which the child is already born with malignant cells, and treatment should begin shortly after birth. Learn more about rhabdomyosarcoma.
The diagnosis of sarcoma is made by the family doctor or oncologist based on the person’s assessment of signs and symptoms, as well as the results of imaging tests, such as ultrasound and tomography.
If signs of tampering are detected, your doctor may recommend a biopsy, which takes a sample of the possible sarcoma and sends it to the lab for testing. Microscopic observation of the collected material allows us to know whether it corresponds to a sarcoma, its type and the degree of malignancy. This way, your doctor may indicate the best treatment.
The treatment of sarcoma varies by type and therefore it is important to identify the type of sarcoma to start the most appropriate treatment, avoiding complications.
The usual treatment is surgical removal of sarcoma, followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy, depending on the type of sarcoma identified. It is important that diagnosis and treatment are done as soon as possible, because if sarcoma leaks into the surrounding organs and tissues, surgery becomes more complicated.
In some cases, when the extension of sarcoma is large, before surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy sessions may be indicated to decrease the size of the sarcoma and, therefore, surgery may be more effective.