SARCOMA

Soft tissue sarcomas are rare malignant tumors that generally involve the arms, legs, trunk, or head and neck region. They often present as painless lumps and may first be noticed after an unrelated traumatic event draws attention to the site.

The diagnosis is usually made when an orthopedic oncologist performs a needle biopsy of the lesion. A multidisciplinary team of UHealth physicians in the fields of orthopedic oncology, pathology, radiology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology then meet to determine the best treatment approach for the particular patient.

At Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, many patients with soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities are first treated with chemotherapy to reduce the size of the mass. This allows for a more conservative, limb-sparing surgery to be performed. Postoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy are given to ensure that the tumor does not recur in its original location.

If the tumor is removed through a wide excision, postoperative radiation is given to minimize recurrence of the disease while preserving body parts. There is a developing clinical trial at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to explore the use of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent along with the postoperative radiation therapy in order to improve not only local control of soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities but also to prevent disease spread to other body organs (metastasis) without the use of chemotherapy. Aaron Wolfson, M.D. and B-Chen Wen, M.D. participate in the multidisciplinary site group for sarcoma.