what is sarcoma? is it really a type of cancer? how is it possible to cure?

Question

type of cancer...

Answer 1

A sarcoma is a bone tumor that contains cancer (malignant) cells. A benign bone tumor is an abnormal growth of noncancerous cells.

A primary bone tumor originates in or near a bone. Most primary bone tumors are benign, and the cells that compose them do not spread (metastasize) to nearby tissue or to other parts of the body.

Malignant primary bone tumors account for fewer than 1% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States. They can infiltrate nearby tissues, enter the bloodstream, and metastasize to bones, tissues, and organs far from the original malignancy. Malignant primary bone tumors are characterized as either:

* bone cancers which originate in the hard material of the bone.
* soft-tissue sarcomas which begin in blood vessels, nerves, or tissues containing muscles, fat, or fiber.

There is mostly no cure for any type of cancer and we can only treat it to extend the life of the patient. The treatments for sarcoma are -
A treatment plan for bone cancer, developed after the tumor has been diagnosed and staged, may include the following:

* Amputation may be the only therapeutic option for large tumors involving nerves or blood vessels that have not responded to chemotherapy. MRI scans indicate how much of the diseased limb must be removed, and surgery is planned to create a cuff, formed of muscles and skin, around the amputated bone. Following surgery, an artificial (prosthetic) leg is fitted over the cuff. A patient who actively participates in the rehabilitation process may be walking independently as soon as three months after the amputation.
* Chemotherapy is usually administered in addition to surgery, to kill cancer cells that have separated from the original tumor and spread to other parts of the body. Although chemotherapy can increase the likelihood of later development of another form of cancer, the American Cancer Society maintains that the need for chemotherapeutic bone-cancer treatment is much greater than the potential risk.
* Surgery, coordinated with diagnostic biopsy, enhances the probability that limb-salvage surgery can be used to remove the cancer while preserving nearby blood vessels and bones. A metal rod or bone graft is used to replace the area of bone removed, and subsequent surgery may be needed to repair or replace rods that become loose or break. Patients who have undergone limb-salvage surgery need intensive rehabilitation. It may take as long as a year for a patient to regain full use of a leg following limb-salvage surgery, and patients who have this operation may eventually have to undergo amputation.
* Radiation therapy is used often to treat Ewing's sarcoma.
* Rotationoplasty, sometimes performed after a leg amputation, involves attaching the lower leg and foot to the thigh bone, so that the ankle replaces the knee. A prosthetic is later added to make the leg as long as it should be. Prosthetic devices are not used to lengthen limbs that remain functional after amputation to remove osteosarcomas located on the upper arm. When an osteosarcoma develops in the jawbone, the entire lower jaw is removed. Bones from other parts of the body are later grafted on remaining bone to create a new jaw.-

Answer 2

Sarcoma Website:

http://liddyshriversarcomainitiative.org/

Answer 3

Cancer is a general term for over 200 subtypes of disease. There are about four common major types of cancer and the subtypes fall under these branches:

Four General Types of Cancer - all subtypes fall under these

1. Leukemia - general term for cancer in the blood. There are many subtypes that can affect all age groups. Examples: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) , Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) , Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/leukemia

2. Lymphoma - general term for cancer in the lymphatic system. There are many subtypes that can affect all age groups. Examples: Hodgkin Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphoma

3. Carcinoma - general term for cancer that originates in organs within the body. Considered the most common type of cancer. Many, many subtypes. Some people feel that carcinoma is an interchangable word with cancer, but it is not.
More common in older adults. Examples: Breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinoma

4. Sarcoma - general term for cancer in the muscles, tendons, cartiliage, bone, fat, and connective tissues within the body. A rare cancer that has many, many subtypes. More common in adolescents and young adults. Examples: Osteosarcoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewings sarcoma, Liposarcoma, Synovial sarcoma, Angiosarcoma, Desmoplastic small round cell tumor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcoma
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/soft-tissue-sarcoma/

There are certainly others . . such as Brain Cancer or even some types of tumors which are a combination of carcinoma and sarcoma. But the above are the four most common types. All subtypes of cancer will generally fall under those four categories.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/alphalist/a-d

Sarcoma is rare and that is one reason it is difficult to manage and 'cure'. But the best 'cure' is like any other type of cancer . . find it early and have it removed surgically. 100 percent resection of a sarcoma is probably the best chance at 'cure', however complete resection is rarely possible. For a patient with sarcoma the best chance for cure comes from choosing a sarcoma specialist at a major sarcoma center. Since many doctors have never seen a sarcoma during their practice . . sarcoma is rarely recognized and often mistreated. This wastes valuable time for the patient. So go to a sarcoma specialist . .they can set up a treatment plan that can be done by the local oncologist.

Sarcoma is an ugly disease and can often develop a resistance to treatment. Reoccurence can become common as the disease learns how to mutate. This is why a complete surgical resection is often the best way for 'cure'. Adjuvant chemotherapy is also used in hopes of killing off microscopic disease or shrinking the often huge tumors enough so that surgery is possible. Radiation can also be used on single tumors or in one location in hopes of killing microscopic disease or stopping the growth of the large tumors.

So, an individual cure is possible through a combination of treatments depending on the staging or grouping of the disease. Complete surgical resection. Targeted chemotherapy. Radiation. Not all these treatments are indicated for every type or stage of disease . . but can be used as single agents or in combinations depending on the situation.

Answer 4

A sarcoma (from the Greek 'sark' meaning "flesh") is a cancer of the connective or supportive tissue (bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels) and soft tissue. This is in contrast to carcinomas, which are of epithelial origin (breast, colon, pancreas, and others).

I have had Leiomyosarcoma in the left arm....I survived ... Good luck

Answer 5

Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options. The prognosis and treatment options depend on the following: * The stage of the cancer (the size of the tumor, whether it affects part or all of the liver, or has spread to other places in the body). * How well the liver is working. * The patient’s general health, including whether there is cirrhosis of the liver. The various methods of treatment that are used are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, percutaneous ethanol injection, hyperthermia therapy, and biologic therapy. There is no standard treatment for advanced adult primary liver cancer, but you may consider taking part in a clinical trial.

Answer 6

it's a type of connective tissue cancer. yes it's possible to treat and/or cure.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcoma

Answer 7

Google

Answer 8

check out webmd.com - you can get alot of your questions answered there.