July is Sarcoma Cancer Awareness Month Facts
- A sarcoma is a tumor that arises out of connective tissues, not glandular tissues. Sarcomas therefore are found in bone(osseous), cartilage, skeletal muscle, tendons, veins, arteries, nerves, skin and fatty tissues.
- Estimated new cases and deaths from soft tissue sarcoma in the United States in 2013: New Case: 11, 430/Deaths: 4,390.
- The most common types of sarcoma in adults are malignant fibrous histiocytoma, liposarcoma, and leiomyosarcoma.
- The median age of patients with Ewing sarcoma is 15 years, and more than 50% of patients are adolescents.
- Possible signs of adult soft tissue sarcoma include a limp or swelling in soft tissue of the body. Sarcomas that begin in the abdomen may not cause symptoms until they become very large.
- About 60d % of soft tissue sarcomas occur in arms, legs, buttocks, hands or feet. Another 20% occur in the chest and abdomen. About 10 % are found in the head and neck.
- Between 1975 and 2002, the 5-year survival rate for Ewing Sarcoma has increased from 59% to 76% for children younger than 15 years.
- Soft tissue sarcomas go by a variety of names, depending on the tissue in which they originate. An example is Fibrosarcoma. Fibrous tissue in your arms, legs or trunk may be affected.
- If your doctor thinks you may have a soft tissue sarcoma, a biopsy will be done. The type of biopsy will be based on the size of the tumor and where it is in the body.
- After a sarcoma is found and staged, the cancer care team will recommend one of several treatment systems. The main types of treatment for soft tissue sarcoma are: Surgery, Radiation, Chemotherapy, Target therapy.
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- 4,390 Americans (2,500 males and 1,890 females) are expected to die of soft tissue sarcoma this year.
- Soft tissue sarcomas can occur at any age but overall are more common in older adults. The average age at diagnosis is 57 years.
- Ewing’s sarcoma is a very rare form of bone cancer that strikes children and adolescents. Actually, it is a group of four different types of cancer, known collectively as the Ewing’s family of tumors.
- Sarcoma is a rare cancer with more than 50 subtypes. Rare diseases are defined in the United States as having fewer than 200,000 persons affected by the disease with an estimated 7,000 rare diseases identified.
- The Journal of Clinical Oncology Sarcoma Portal is a resource for physicians to discover the latest findings in the area of sarcoma research through scientific abstracts, videos, links, and other materials.
- Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that beings in the cell that form the bone. Osteosarcoma occurs most often in the long bones of the arms and legs.
- Can soft tissue sarcomas be found early? People who have a strong family history of sarcomas or who have had other cancers when they were young, might wish to discuss genetic testing with their doctor.
- Sarcoma is a rare cancer and people affected with a rare cancer also face additional challenges such as delays in obtaining a diagnosis, misdiagnosis, psychological burdens and lack of information and support services.
- Twenty years ago, amputation was virtually the only form of treatment for patients with sarcoma of the limbs. It is now required in fewer than one in 20 of all such patients.
- Synovial sarcoma is a malignant soft tissue tumor that most often occurs in children and young adults but can also be found in older adults. They can occur anywhere in the body, but most commonly in the extremities.
- Radiation therapy is commonly given after surgery in the place where the sarcoma was removed. This can limit the risk of a local recurrence.
- Because sarcoma is a rare cancer, it is important that patients see an oncologist specializing in sarcoma or visit a sarcoma center.
- In soft tissue sarcoma, cure is difficult to assess. For the majority (70%) of patients, recurrence happens in the first two years after treatment.
- Chondrosarcoma are malignant tumors that begin in cartilage. They typically occur in patients between age 50 and 80 and commonly occur in the pelvis or femur.
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Sarcoma Support Group provides opportunity for patients with sarcoma to talk to each other in a live, online, confidential forum. This group is open to the public.
- The EDDF Provide the Assist Fund offers much needed financial assistance for adult sarcoma and rare cancer patients in active treatment.
- Chemotherapy is usually given before an operation for very high-risk sarcomas, and in some cases, it is also given after a tumor has spread.
- Centerwatch provides a listing of clinical trials being conducted across the United States for soft tissue sarcomas.
- Some symptoms of soft tissue sarcomas often do not appear until the disease is advanced, only about 50% of soft tissue sarcomas are found in the early stages, before they have spread.
