I have just been told I have abnormal cells in a mass on my Psoas Muscle???

Question

I am 57 yrs old. I had a MRI done in May and it showed a mass on my Psoas Muscle. I had another one done this month the mass is still there but smaller. I had a biopsy done last Friday and it showed the cells on the outer edge to be abnormal.
Now they want to remove it surgically. I have mixed feelings. I don't have the time, I don't have the money and not sure I have the desire to deal with it. The surgery and the followup treatments.
They are not sure what kind of cells they are but most likely sarcoma.
I really have mixed feelings right now.

Answer 1

A sarcoma is extremely difficult cancer to treat. If it is a sarcoma than your best chances would be to go to a sarcoma center or at least locate a sarcoma specialist immediately. This is a deceptive disease and treatment can be complicated. Sarcoma often is an aggressive disease that once it takes hold can be almost impossible to contain. It is not one to fool around with. Even if you decide not to seek treatment you should find a competent sarcoma specialist who can at least steer you towards palliative treatment rather than curative. Sarcoma means business. It is nothing to fool around with.

My son was diagnosed with a rare abdominal sarcoma that presents as massive tumors within the abdomen. It is a disease that affects boys and young adults. There is no known protocol. The sarcoma mutates continuously making treatments difficult. His cancer can grow and spread in as little as 28 days. The warning here is that just because you have slightly abnormal cells right now . . doesn't mean that next week it might not develop into a full blown malignancy. If you can treat it easier today . . while it is small . . that is much better than if it starts to grow wildly out of control and than you try to treat it. The earlier a sarcoma is treated the better chance for survival. We, literally, had no warning at all. He was playing high school sports and didn't feel like he could keep up with the other boys on the team. We thought it was mono .. turned out to be stage IV sarcoma. Do not wait. Sarcoma does not allow you to make mistakes.

What is a soft tissue sarcoma?
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_is_sarcoma_38.asp

NCI: Soft tissue sarcoma
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/soft-tissue-sarcoma/

People living with cancer
http://www.plwc.org/portal/site/PLWC/menuitem.7dc839e898b06dc430ed4b10ee37a01d/?vgnextoid=9367ea7105daa010VgnVCM100000ed730ad1RCRD&vgnextfmt=printer

Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initative
http://liddyshriversarcomainitiative.org/

Sarcoma Alliance
http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/

List of Sarcoma Centers
http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/centers.html

Best to you whatever decision you make and have no regrets, because if this is cancer than you will never be able to make up this lost time.

Answer 2

Nobody likes the idea of surgery. The possible outcomes for your condition are (1) the mass disappears on its own; (2) the mass grows large enough to cause problems due to its size; (3) cancer spreads to other cells in you body where it cannot be contained; (4) surgical removal; or (5) radiation treatment.

If i were in your shoes, i would ask the doctor to send me to an expert on sarcomas, and find out if a shrinking tumor means that cancer cells are unlikely to spread. If the answer is yes, i would wait a few more months to see if the tumor keeps shrinking. If the answer was no or maybe, i would go with the surgery. You have only one shot at catching cancer before it spreads. Once it spreads to other tissues, surgery is no longer an option, and months or years of chemotherapy are much worse than a surgical procedure that can remove 100% of the cancer.

Answer 3

No You your muscles can begin to atrophy as soon as 48-72 hours after exercise. The phase use it or lose it is exactly right in terms of muscles in the body. Try not to compare yourself to hollywood celebrities. They have the time money and resources to make extreme transformations that are usually impracticable for the average working american. Know that muscle is about 70% water so when you gain or lose 1lb of actual muscle protein you also gain or lose about 3.3lbs of water. But unless you are so extremely lean that it is to the point where you may be losing your periods I would not try to lose weight by losing muscle. Its very unhealthy in many ways. If you where to focus 75% of your exercise on cardio and 25% on high repetition weight training you will get your desired physique

Answer 4

Sarcoma is a dangerous and aggressive cancer. You need to have this mass removed ASAP regardless of your finances because if you do not your financial status will be of no concern to you. If this mass is a sarcoma then your best chance of survival involves immediate removal along with taking clean margins around the tumor area. Take the surgeon's advice and do so quickly - next week. good luck

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_How_is_sarcoma_staged_38.asp

Answer 5

Don't take a chance, have it removed. I had unknown cell mass in my breast. having had a mother die at the age of 42 with breast cancer, they cut it out and did a biopsy. It was NOT cancer, but what if it was? I could be on my way to heaven shortly and I am not ready for that. Are you?

Answer 6

Sarcome is cancer. Only you can decide what you want to do if anything at all. Look into ALL your options and then decide which best suits you if any at all. I'd think long and hard on whatever decision I made. If your reason for not is your to busy......what will you be doing without treatment? What your to busy for now may be what cost you your own life later. Just weigh it all out, educae yourself and make a decision but I wouldn't wait long.