Sarcoma

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A sarcoma is a cancer of the connective or supportive tissue (bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels) and soft tissue.

The term comes from a Greek word meaning 'fleshy growth'. Bone tumors (osteosarcomas) are also called sarcomas, but are in a separate category because they have different clinical and microscopic characteristics and are treated differently. Osteogenic sarcoma or osteosarcoma is one of the most common childhood bone cancers. Soft tissue sarcomas are more common in adults than in children. In all, sarcomas constitute fewer than 1% of all cancers. Its treatment is made more difficult with the existence of more than 70 varieties. Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common form of sarcoma, with approximately 3000-3500 cases per year in the United States.

Private funding Organizations such as the 'Sarcoma Foundation of America' are working to fund research towards a cure for sarcoma, while other patient-oriented organizations such as the Sarcoma Alliance are working to educate patients about the disease, and still others like the Rare Cancer Alliance are working to give patients online support. The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative publishes the Electronic Sarcoma Update Newsletterwhich is an online bi-monthly newsletter, containing articles of interest to patients, caregivers, physicians, nurses, and survivors.

Actor Robert Urich had a soft-tissue sarcoma, and died of this disease. The most famous victim of this disease is Canadian Terry Fox, who was required to have a leg amputated as treatment. He subsequently began heroic fundraising efforts towards medical research, which enabled advances that dramatically improved the survivability of the ailment.

Treatment for sarcoma involves surgery and radiation therapy, and chemotherapy in some people. For sarcomas that are recurrent, systemic chemotherapy is the most frequently utilized therapy. Sarcoma treatment is best directed by experts in this disease, found at major cancer centers in the United States. Any painless or painful growing mass on the body should be examined by a physician and a determination made of whether further treatment is necessary.