Sarcoma

Question: Anyone know much about synovial sarcoma and whether it is a serious cancer? what are the chance of a sarcoma coming back because i have been given the all clear after bieng diognosed over a year ago with synovial sarcoma to the neck.... grade 2.

Answer: What is synovial sarcoma? Synovial sarcoma is a type of soft tissue sarcoma. Soft tissue sarcomas are cancers of the muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, blood vessels, or other supporting tissue of the body, including synovial tissue. Synovial tissue lines the cavities of joints, such as the knee or elbow, tendons (tissues that connect muscle to bone), and bursae (fluid-filled, cushioning sacs in the spaces between tendons, ligaments, and bones). Although synovial sarcoma does not have a clearly defined cause, genetic factors are believed to influence the development of this disease. How often does synovial sarcoma occur? Synovial sarcoma is rare. It accounts for between 5 and 10 percent of the approximately 10,000 new soft tissue sarcomas reported each year (1). Synovial sarcoma occurs mostly in young adults, with a median age of 26.5 (1). Approximately 30 percent of patients with synovial sarcoma are younger than 20. This disease occurs more often in men than in women (1). Where does synovial sarcoma develop? About 50 percent of synovial sarcomas develop in the legs, especially the knees. The second most common location is the arms (2). Less frequently, the disease develops in the trunk, head and neck region, or the abdomen (1, 2). It is common for synovial cancer to recur (come back), usually within the first two years after treatment. Half of the cases of synovial sarcoma metastasize (spread to other areas of the body) to the lungs, lymph nodes, or bone marrow (1). What are the symptoms of synovial sarcoma? Synovial sarcoma is a slow-growing tumor. Because it grows slowly, a person may not have or notice symptoms for some time, resulting in a delay in diagnosis. The most common symptoms of synovial sarcoma are swelling or a mass that may be tender or painful (1). The tumor may limit range of motion or press against nerves and cause numbness. The symptoms of synovial sarcoma can be mistaken for those of inflammation of the joints, the bursae, or synovial tissue. These noncancerous conditions are called arthritis, bursitis, and synovitis, respectively. How is synovial sarcoma diagnosed? The doctor may use the following procedures and tests to diagnose synovial sarcoma: Biopsy: Tissue is removed for examination under a microscope. Immunohistochemical analysis: Tumor tissue is tested for certain antigen and antibody interactions common to synovial sarcoma. Ultrastructural findings: The tissue is examined using an ultramicroscope and electron microscope. Genetic testing: Tissue is tested for a specific chromosome abnormality common to synovial sarcoma. How is synovial sarcoma treated? The type of treatment depends on the age of the patient, the location of the tumor, its size, its grade (how abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope and how likely the tumor will quickly grow and spread), and the extent of the disease. The most common treatment is surgery to remove the entire tumor with negative margins (no cancer cells are found at the edge or border of the tissue removed during surgery). If the first surgery does not obtain negative tissue margins, a second surgery may be needed. The patient may also receive radiation therapy before or after surgery to control the tumor or decrease the chance of recurrence (cancer coming back). The use of intraoperative radiation therapy (radiation aimed directly at the tumor during surgery) and brachytherapy (radioactive material sealed in needles, wires, seeds, or catheters, and placed directly into or near a tumor) are under study. Patients may also receive chemotherapy alone or in combination with radiation therapy

Question: How does a soft tissue sarcoma appear on a regular xray? i have a mass on my finger that i had xrayed and they said it showed up as swelling in the xray, but im scared it could be a soft tissue sarcoma...what are characteristics of soft tissue sarcomas?? i have had this mass on my finger for about six months now with no pain, so the doctor said its just a tendon sheath tumor? anyone know about sarcomas or xrays? im really worried...i know im probably just paranoid but im scared

Answer: Please take Panda's excellent advice and pursue this with a sarcoma specialist if possible. I would at least recommend a biopsy, based on my own sarcoma experience. I had a "probably nothing" lump excised from my arm, and it turned out to be Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma. The good news is that the odds are in your favor - sarcoma is very rare, so chances are your doctor is right. But it's not worth the risk to just let it go.

Question: do you know about sarcoma and is it possible that it goes to the brain? I recently find out that I have sarcoma. I like to know more about it; especially if the informatin comes from pople who are effected.

Answer: There are many different types of sarcoma. Which one you have will determine the path of metastasis, if it spreads. If you haven't already, check out the following websites. It will give you more information on the subtypes of sarcoma and put you in contact with online patient forums. http://www.curesarcoma.org/ http://survivor-support.rare-cancer.org/forum/ http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/home.html http://www.liddyshriversarcomainitiative.org/

Question: What kind of cancer can you have from a soft tissue mass/tumor in the knee besides Sarcoma? They found a 3cm soft tissue mass in the posterior of my knee almost 2 weeks ago. It is eroding the lateral side of my medial femoral condyle and they think it has torn my PCL. I was referrred to an orthopedic onocologist b/c they couldn't determine if it was cancerous by MRI, CAT scan, or Bone Scan I have had done. And my local orthopedic surgeon I have been seeing doesnt feel comfortable doing the biopsy b/c it is so 'aggressive'. And my ortho onocologist said its going to be a very "involved" surgery b/c it is so close to the major artery in my leg and other factors. But all 3 doctors I have been to have mentioned that it could be cancer but the only type that has been mentioned that I can remember was Sarcoma. Is there any other cancer that could be in the knee?

Answer: Your cancer is not located in the knee joint or it would most likely be a bone tumor called an osteosarcoma. Since your tumor is instead located in the soft tissue that surrounds your knee one possibility would be a leiomyosarcoma which is a type of rare soft tissue sarcoma. Here is a basic web page on leiomyosarcoma http://www.leiomyosarcoma.info/ Leiomyosarcoma is a rare and difficult to treat type of sarcoma. I have a couple of suggestions for you. At all of your next Dr appts. either take real good notes or even better take someone else that you trust with you to take notes for you and to also listen. Ask the Drs to spell any words or terms with which you are not familiar. My second suggestion would be not to spend a lot of time doing the "what if" game until you know exactly what type of tumor you are dealing with. Wasting your time with speculation will just cause you mental grief and lack of sleep for no good purpose. Don't read too much until you know what you actually need to read about or you will just scare yourself needlessly. The web page below will give you a list of all the various benign and malignant soft tissue tumors. Until you have the pathology report back from your biopsy any guessing as to what type of tumor you have will be speculation so concentrate on keeping your spirits up and getting organized. You have at least one major surgery in your near future so you need to concentrate on the things you know and can control and not spend time worrying trouble until trouble worries you. http://www.emedicine.com/orthoped/topic377.htm I would get a referral to a teaching hospital or major cancer center for surgery by an expert orthopedic surgeon who works exclusively with tumors located in or near joints. This will give you much better odds on maintaining good knee function after the surgery than if your surgeon is less experienced and just doing the best job he can. good luck

Question: Is it true that chemotherapy makes it worse when you have sarcoma cancer? My cousin was diagnozed with the intestine cancer (I was told it was an uterine at first) a few weeks ago. The cancer has already spread to her lungs, kidneys and everywhere else. She had a surgery and they removed lots of it from the different parts of her body. She felt better but then the doctors run some tests and found out that it was a sarcoma type. I know that the sarcoma resists to the chemo therapy treatments but is it true that it might make it worse? I never heard of it but the doctor says that there is a chance that the chemo will make more damage than good. She was asking my mom whether she should go for chemo. Does anyone have any experience with sarcoma in such a late stage? What should we expect? What will happen next? And did someone at her situation lived for long? Is she going to experience a lot of pain? It's hard for me to ask these questions her doctor because she is in Europe and I get all information on the phone only. I am scared.

Answer: There are over 60 different types of sarcoma and all are treated differently. So, it is difficult to respond to your question. It is not true however that sarcoma does not respond to chemotherapy. My son had a 75 percent response to first line high dose chemotherapy for abdominal sarcoma. He also underwent three major surgeries to remove the bulk of tumor. He had a treatment called intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion to treat the microscopic cells embedded in the abdominal cavity. He has also undergone low dose chemo maintenance with no evidence of disease for 8 months. Currently his disease is stable and he is asymptomatic and living with cancer. It is highly recommended that your cousin locate a sarcoma specialist or be treated at a sarcoma center. Sarcoma is extremely rare and needs to be treated by someone who has had experience with the disease. Most doctors and oncologist have never seen or treated this type of cancer . . and many patients are misdiagnosed and their treatment delayed or ineffective because of mismanagement. Sarcoma Centers - includes centers around the world http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/master.html?SubCategoryId=2 Find out the exact name of your cousins sarcoma and than look for specific information about the disease. You can also visit the Sarcoma Alliance for information: http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/ Medline Plus: Soft tissue sarcoma http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/softtissuesarcoma.html What is a soft tissue sarcoma http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_is_sarcoma_38.asp NIC: Soft tissue sarcoma http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/soft-tissue-sarcoma/ Cancerbackup: soft tissue sarcoma http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Softtissuesarcomas

Question: What is unspecified Sarcoma and how bad is it for a 39 year old woman? She is a friend and told me what she had and I just am trying to understand what it is and how bad things are. She had 8 tumors in her leg.

Answer: It means that they don't know exactly what type she has yet. Sarcoma is a cancer of the connective tissue. The connective tissue includes muscle, bone, fat, nerve, cartilage, blood vessel, and deep skin tissue. Connective tissue is present throughout the body, so sarcoma can occur in any location. Two thirds of sarcomas are located in the extremities (arms or legs). Because it is so rare and it takes multiple forms in multiple locations, sarcoma is difficult to detect, often misdiagnosed and complex to treat. My oldest brother had soft tissue Sarcoma (fibro) of the cervical spine...he was diagnosed when the cancer was in "stageIV" and there wasn't much they could do...Sarcomas are very complex to treat!... The prognosis with sarcomas is poor unfortunately:-( Some of the most common subtypes of sarcoma are listed below. Liposarcomas are malignant tumors which develop from fat tissue. They can develop anywhere in the body, but they most often grow in the retroperitoneum (tissue at the back of the abdominal cavity). Leiomyosarcomas are malignant tumors which develop from smooth muscle tissue. (Smooth muscle is the type of muscle over which your brain does not have conscious control like the muscle fibers in the uterus or in the walls of blood vessels.) They can arise anywhere in the body but the uterus or gastrointestinal tract are two relatively common locations for leiomyosarcoma. Rhabdomyosarcoma are malignant tumors which resemble developing skeletal muscle. These tumors most commonly grow in the arms or legs, but can also develop in the head or neck area, as well as the urinary and reproductive organs. Synovial Sarcoma is a malignant tumor made up of cells which resemble the cells in joints. ("Synovial cells" line the joints.) However, synovial sarcoma does not necessarily arise in any joint, and the name is probably a misnomer, since the cancer cells are probably quite different from normal joint cells. Synovial sarcomas can arise in any location in the body, and it often appears in young adults. Angiosarcoma are malignant tumors that resemble blood or lymphatic vessels. Fibrosarcoma is cancer of the fibroblast-type cells in the body which form scars and do other important connective functions. Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST) is a cancer of the cells that surround nerves -- it is also called neurofibrosarcoma. Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) also known as GI Stromal Sarcoma is an increasingly recognized diagnosis of connective tissue cancerous cells which support the GI tract. Desmoid Tumor is not strictly a sarcoma since it is not technically a malignancy. However, since it has risk of coming back, it is a tumor which generally should be managed by a team skilled in sarcoma management. Ewing's Sarcoma is also known as Peripheral Neuroectodermal Tumor (PNET). It is a class of diseases which arise from very primitive cells in the body. Although this is usually thought of as a bone tumor, Ewing Sarcoma is increasingly recognized to arise in soft tissues in the body as well. Osteosarcoma (also known as osteogenic sarcoma) is a tumor of cells which form bone. Chondrosarcoma is a tumor of cells which form cartilage.

Question: What are some oral manifestations of Kaposi's Sarcoma and where can I get photos of this disease? I am doing a research paper on this subject and have not been able to find some oral manifestations or photos thus far. Any ideas?

Answer: involvement of the oral cavity is seen after that of the extremities and face. the oral lesions are same as cutaneous nodules i.e. they appear as reddish or brownish red nodules which may vary in size from a few mm to a cm or more in diameter. cervical lymph node and salivary gland involvement commonly precedes cutaneous and visceral involvement in African children. u may refer to textbook of Oral Pathology(Shafer), PubMed, http://www.hivdent.org/slides/ (for pictures)..

Question: Does anyone know the prognosis of a Sarcoma that metastasis to the lung? Had a sarcoma removed chemo etc.. clear.. then mets to the lung a year later. This is a friends sitch.... cant find anything online.

Answer: I'm sorry to hear about your friend's sarcoma coming back, particularly after what sounds like an aggressive initial treatment. There are a lot of possible contributing factors to prognosis: Tumor related - the initial tumor size, the type of sarcoma (or histology), other pathologic features, and current extent of lung metastasis; Patient related - age, health, response to previous treatment and functional status. In a healthy person with a limited number of lung lesions, it is worthwhile considering a visit to a surgical oncologist at a major cancer center (MSKCC, MDACC, FCCC, DFCI to name a few). In some patients cure is still possible. Regardless, your friend should see a sarcoma specialist to understand better his/her prognosis. My thoughts are with you and your friend.

Question: what is the best known treatment for a desmoid sarcoma? My daughter has a desmoid sarcoma in her calf -ankle it has been excised radiated and she has taken anti estrogen treatments. Now she is undergoing chemo therapy as this has returned several times. Drs believe it could sattelite if her leg was amputated. Thanks for your input

Answer: Desmoid tumors are not strictly sarcoma's because they do not generally metastastize. However, because they tend to reoccur and can be stubborn they probably should be treated by a sarcoma specialist. For the latest treatment guidelines you can check the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Guidelines for Soft Tissue Sarcoma. There is a section for the treatment of Desmoid Sarcoma. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/sarcoma.pdf You should also consider joining a support group for Desmoid Sarcoma to keep up with latest treatment options and just for support! ACOR: The Desmoid Tumor eCommunity http://listserv.acor.org/archives/desmoid.html Desmoid Tumor Foundation http://www.dtrf.org/

Question: What is the survial rate with Sarcoma cancer? I'm 34, doctors found a tumor in my uterus....removed it a week ago...then told me there were some odd cells that were on the tumor...they called it Sarcoma. What is going to happen next? what can I do? what are the treatments?is it to late for me?

Answer: There are about 40 different types of sarcoma (cancer of the connective tissue such as blood vessels, muscles, bones, cartilage) so the first thing you need to do is ask the specific name of the sarcoma. You than need to ask what the stage and grade of the tumor as that will determine treatment. And, your next best thing to do is to go to a sarcoma cancer center or at least insist on being treated by a sarcoma specialist. Sarcoma is a rare, rare disease and very few regular oncologists have treated it . . so many make the wrong assumptions about how it should be treated. Find a sarcoma specialist here: Sarcoma Centers http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/master.html?SubCategoryId=2 How to locate a sarcoma specialist http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/master.html?SubCategoryId=3 Sarcoma Resources http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/master.html?SubCategoryId=4 And, no it is not too late for you. You need to find out as much information as possible and make some critical decisions regarding treatment. But sarcoma of the uterus can be treated, but first things first . . find out the name of the sarcoma and find a sarcoma specialist to help you fight this battle. Good luck.

Question: How much time would i need off after having a Soft Skin Sarcoma removed? Im due to have a Soft Skin Sarcoma removed and want to know how much time at a minimum i will need off work?

Answer: As the other lady said, it depends on location, how deep it is, how large it is, how hard it is to remove, etc. The best way to find out is to ask your doctor how long he/she thinks you'll need to take off. If it's superficial and easy to get to, not very large, then you may be able to go back to work after a day at home; if you are having a general anesthetic, you can't drive for 24 hours. Or you may be able to do back to work the next day, depending on the time of day your surgery is done. If, on the other hand, it is in a painful location, and is deep, then a couple days off may be in order. Part of it depends on how much pain you are having and if you need to take pain killers, which would influence your ability to drive, make judgments, and other important things. Bottom line; ask your doctor. Your doctor know where it is, how large it is, how long surgery will take, how painful it might be and whether or not you need general anesthesia or can get away with something lighter. Your discharge paperwork will tell you what the doc thinks you need to do(but that won't help you plan ahead)

Question: what is vaccine induced sarcoma in feline? what are the symptoms and how does it start? how often does this happen to cats and what are the risks?

Answer: Vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats are typically surrounded by, and infiltrated with, lymphocytes and macrophages. The phenomenon of sarcoma formation in cats at vaccination sites is apparently unique to cats, and they typically develop 3 months to 3 years after vaccination. risks according to the first website: 20/100,000 cats Vets now vaccinate nearer to the limbs so if it does happen it can easily be removed, and if perchance it gets bad, they can simply remove the limb (not good, but way easier than dealing with it when it is in the scruff) The risks of not being vaccinated seem to far outweigh the risk of this.

Question: Generally, what is the most optimistic prognosis in a panreatic sarcoma? Any modern medical technique to at least delay the spread of the the cancer cells?

Answer: I'm afraid the outlook is not good for pancreatic cancer. If they caught it very early, perhaps there is more hope. Go to Apex and read about the most interesting work they are doing with silver. It's fascinating.

Question: Can you pass soft tissue Sarcoma down to your children? I want to know if I have children if there is chance that I would be passing this on to them.

Answer: Cancer is rarely hereditary and if your oncologist thought yours may be, he or she would most likely have suggesting testing. If you have reason to believe yours may be for some reason you should ask your oncologist about it. Cancer maybe hereditary if you have multiple family members, including first and second degree relatives, with the same cancer diagnosed at an early age for the disease.

Question: What is the Prognosis for Spindle Cell Sarcoma? I am just trying to get some information on it. My dog was recently diagnosed with it I have been unable to find any good information on it, so I greatly appreciate your help.

Answer: Spindle cell sarcoma http://maxshouse.com/soft_tissue_sarcoma… http://www.myspecialdog.com/SpindleCellS… http://www.dogcancer.net/forum/viewtopic… Where is the cancer? what tests were done? and what treatment options have you been offered?

Question: Which is the better cytotoxic drug,adriamycin or ifosfamide for synovial sarcoma. i have been advised to take ? adriamycin or ifosfamide, which is better for synovial sarcoma in a lady of 65yrs. primary on the thigh and has a couple of small pulmonary nodes which are not resectable.

Answer: SYNOVIAL SARCOMA is a rare soft-tissue sarcoma defined by the presence of a unique translocation, t(X;18)(q11.2;p11.2). It usually occurs adjacent to joints in the limbs and was originally thought to arise from synovium. The synocial sarcomas are cancerous (malignant) tumors that originate in the soft tissues of your body. Soft tissues connect, support and surround other body structures. The soft tissues include muscle, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons and the lining of your joints (synovial tissues). A large variety of soft tissue sarcomas can occur in these areas. Chemotherapy medicine for Synovial Sarcoma - Conventional chemotherapy, (for example, Doxorubicin hydrochloride and Ifosfamide), is given to reduce the number of remaining microscopic cancer cells. The benefit of chemotherapy in synovial sarcoma to overall survival remains unclear, although a recent study has shown that survival of patients with advanced, poorly differentiated disease marginally improves with doxorubicin/ifosfamide treatment. Doxorubicin, which kills cancer cells, is among the most widely used chemotherapy drugs. It is also known by its trade name, Adriamycin. Since doxorubicin is used to treat so many different cancers, a complete description of how it may be combined with other medications in the treatment of each of the cancers cannot be given here. Ifosfamide chemically interferes with the synthesis of the genetic material (DNA and RNA) of cancer cells by cross-linking of DNA strands, which prevents these cells from being able to reproduce and continue the growth of the cancer. Ifosfamide is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat germ cell cancers. It is generally prescribed in combination with another medicine (mesna). In the case of Synovial Sarcoma both Doxorubicin hydrochloride and Ifosfamide have the same effect and any of these drugs can be administrated and the Medical oncologist is the best person to select the drug depending on the findings by him, about the disease. You can take any of them as advised by the Oncologist. -