4 Steps to Take If Skin Cancer Runs in Your Family
Having a relative diagnosed with skin cancer like melanoma can naturally be concerning. Read on to learn more about how that affects your risk and the steps you can take to protect yourself.
What Is Soft Tissue Sarcoma?
The names of most cancers make it easy to identify their location. Breast cancer is found in the breast, prostate cancer in the prostate, and pancreatic cancer in the pancreas. Soft tissue sarcoma, however, isn’t quite as simple to classify, nor is it limited to one place.
Santa Monica, California-based general surgeon and surgical oncologist Dr. Trevan Fischer has extensive experience treating this relatively rare type of cancer and working with a multidisciplinary oncology team for the best possible outcome. Here’s what he wants you to know about soft tissue sarcomas.
What is soft tissue sarcoma?
Soft tissue sarcoma is a type of cancer that can strike any of the tissues that surround, support, or connect various structures in the body. This can include everything from fat, muscle, and nerves to blood vessels, fibrous tissue, and skin tissue. There are over 80 subtypes.
Compared with many other kinds of cancer, soft tissue sarcomas are uncommon, with the American Cancer Society projecting between 13,000 and 14,000 new cases being diagnosed in 2021. Both children and adults can be affected, making up about 1% of adult and 12% of childhood cancers.
Symptoms of soft tissue sarcoma
Signs of soft tissue sarcoma are typically a lump or swelling that can occur almost anywhere but are often found in the arms or legs. If the tumor presses on muscles or nerves there may also be pain.
About 40% of soft tissue sarcomas are in the abdomen and can be hard to detect. Symptoms of these types of tumors include abdominal pain, black tarry stools, and/or blood in the stool or vomit.
Soft tissue sarcoma risk factors
Several factors can increase your risk for soft tissue sarcoma. Certain genetic syndromes such as retinoblastoma, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, neurofibromatosis, and Werner syndrome can make the chances of developing this type of cancer more likely.
Past exposure to toxic chemicals like herbicides, arsenic, and dioxin can also increase your risk. The odds of developing soft tissue sarcoma increases in people who had radiation treatment in the past for another kind of cancer.
Diagnosing and treating soft tissue sarcoma
Due to the numerous subtypes of soft tissue sarcoma, getting the correct diagnosis is critical as it dictates the best course of action for treatment. This often involves a biopsy in order for us to examine and analyze the tissue. We may also use imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and PET scans.
Treatment can vary depending on the type of soft tissue sarcoma, but frequently includes surgery to remove all of the cancer. Radiation, chemotherapy, or targeted therapy may also be used in conjunction with surgery.
Whether you’ve detected a strange lump or were already diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma and are seeking a surgeon experienced in minimally invasive surgical techniques, we can help. Call our office or book an appointment online today.
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