What are soft tissue sarcomas? Scientific information about their symptoms, diagnostic methods, surgical treatment options, and post-treatment follow-up processes.
Soft tissue sarcomas are rare malignant tumors that can originate from muscle, fat, connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerve surrounding tissues. While they can develop in different parts of the body, they are most commonly seen in the arms, legs, and trunk.
Liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma are among the main types of soft tissue sarcomas. These tumors differ in their growth characteristics, metastasis potential, and treatment requirements.
Soft tissue sarcomas may initially present as a painless mass. As the tumor grows, it may cause symptoms such as pain, swelling, limited movement, or pressure on surrounding nerves and blood vessels. Detailed evaluation is particularly important for progressively growing, deep-seated, or large masses.
Diagnosis and Evaluation
In the evaluation of soft tissue sarcomas, the patient's complaints, physical examination findings, and imaging methods are considered together.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is frequently used to determine the location, size, and relationship of the tumor with surrounding tissues. To assess the spread of the disease, computed tomography (CT) of the lungs and other necessary imaging methods can be used.
A properly planned biopsy and pathological examination are usually required for a definitive diagnosis. It is important that the biopsy is planned in a way that will not affect subsequent surgical treatment options.
Treatment Approaches
Treatment for soft tissue sarcomas is determined by the histological type, grade, size, location of the tumor, and the extent of disease spread.
One of the primary methods for treating localized soft tissue sarcomas is surgery. The aim of surgical treatment is to remove the tumor with appropriate surgical margins and to preserve healthy tissues and limb function as much as possible.
In suitable patients, limb-sparing surgery can be performed. Depending on the characteristics of the tumor, radiotherapy may be included in the treatment plan before or after surgery. Chemotherapy or other systemic treatments may also be considered in some types of sarcoma and in certain disease stages.
The diagnosis and treatment process is planned multidisciplinarily with the participation of orthopedics and traumatology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, and pathology specialists.
Regular clinical and radiological follow-up is important after treatment to assess the possibility of disease recurrence or spread to distant organs.