What is Sarcoma?
Sarcomas are rare cancers that develop in the connective tissue of the body including fat, blood vessels, nerves, bones, muscles, deep skin tissues, and cartilage. They can affect almost any part of the body, on the inside or the outside. Sarcomas commonly affect the arms, legs and trunk but can also appear in the stomach and intestines as well as behind the abdomen and female reproductive system.
There are three main types of Sarcomas: bone, soft tissue and gastrointestinal stroma tumors and about 100 sub-types.
Soft Tissue Sarcoma– Soft tissue sarcoma can occur in the muscles, fat, blood vessels, tendons, fibrous tissues and synovial tissues (tissues around joints). Soft tissue sarcomas can invade surrounding tissue and can metastasize to other organs of the body. Early on, soft tissue sarcoma rarely causes any symptoms. Because soft tissue is very elastic, the tumors can grow quite large before they are felt.
The first symptom is usually a painless lump. As the tumor grows and begins to press against nearby nerves and muscles, pain or soreness can occur.
Bone Sarcoma– There are three types of bone sarcoma: osteosarcoma; Ewing’s sarcoma; and chondrosarcoma. The most common type of primary bone cancer is osteosarcoma. Because it occurs in growing bones, it is most often found in children. Another type of primary bone cancer is chondrosarcoma which is found in the cartilage. This cancer occurs more often in adults. Ewing’s sarcoma can occur as either a bone sarcoma or a soft tissue sarcoma depending upon the original location in the tumor.
Symptoms of bone cancer can vary depending on the size and location of the tumor. Pain is the most common symptom.
Traditional treatment options for Sarcoma
There are various treatment options for Sarcoma depending on the stage of the cancer but may include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
Utopia Wellness Intensive Medical Program for Sarcoma
Sarcoma is a very stressful diagnosis and your Utopia Wellness team understands this. We work with you to design a customized holistic plan to ensure you have the most effective alternative treatments for your specific cancer.
