Dr. C. Kelley Simpson
Radiation oncologist
July is sarcoma/bone cancer awareness month in the United States. Sarcomas — from the Greek word for “flesh tumors”— are sometimes referred to as “soft tissue cancers.” They occur in structural tissues, including blood vessels, fat, connective tissue, muscles and other structural tissues. Sarcomas in the bone are referred to as “osteosarcomas.”
In adults, sarcomas are rare, accounting for about 1 percent of adult cancers. However, 20% of childhood cancers in the United States are sarcomas. About 17,100 people in the United States will be diagnosed with a sarcoma each year, and about 7,230 people will die of this disease.
While we don’t have a clear picture of the cause of most sarcomas, we do know that genetic mutations in a person’s cells increase the risk. Such mutations might be spontaneous, or might result from previous radiation therapy, chemotherapy or exposure to vinyl chloride.
Since these tumors are rare, we don’t usually do preventative screening for them. Many soft tissue sarcomas are found when a person notices a lump, which sometimes causes pain, but is more often painless.
The most common form of treatment for bone and soft tissue sarcomas is surgery. In bone sarcomas, we sometimes recommend chemotherapy before surgery to keep from removing the entire bone. In soft tissue sarcomas, we may recommend radiation therapy before the surgery to minimize the amount of normal tissue that has to be removed, as well as to prevent the tumor from returning in the same area. Common side effects include lymphedema (swelling) and stiffness.
At Morrison Cancer Center our multidisciplinary cancer team works with the surgical oncologist at University of Nebraska Medical Center. Our MCC team includes medical oncology, offering chemotherapy and immunotherapy; radiation oncology, providing state-of-the-art radiation treatments; dietary; speech, occupational and physical therapy; and our survivorship program, providing a survivorship care plan.
