Sarcoma

Systemic therapy includes traditional chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies. Chemotherapy kills cancer cells or stops them from growing and is used to treat some types of sarcomas, including most sarcomas of bone. Most soft tissue sarcomas that have not spread to other parts of your body can be treated without chemotherapy. Our oncologists consider your specific diagnosis, anticipated risks and benefits, and other factors before recommending systemic therapy as part of your personalized treatment plan.

Radiation therapy kills or slows the growth of cancer cells by targeting tumors with high-energy radiation beams. It may be recommended before or after surgery to reduce the chances of cancer returning. Your type of sarcoma, its location, and its size indicates whether and what type of radiation therapy may be recommended as part of your treatment plan. Radiation therapy may be performed before or after surgery.

• Intraoperative Radiotherapy
  A machine delivers targeted radiation to a surgical site after a tumor is removed. This kind of precision reduces potential damage to surrounding tissue and organs at the former site of the tumor.

• Brachytherapy
  Using a long, thin, flexible catheter, a "seed" is implanted inside your body to deliver doses of radiation therapy to a targeted area. This form of radiation can prevent tumors from recurring after surgical removal.

Your radiation oncologist will discuss a radiation plan with you if that's best for your condition.

Surgeons remove cancerous cells and a small section of healthy tissue around the tumor to make sure no sarcoma is left behind. In some cases, additional steps may be needed to reconstruct bone that’s removed to make sure you experience optimal recovery.

Replaces bones damaged by cancer with a customized artificial joint for the hip, knee, shoulder, or elbow. Titanium 3-D printed reconstruction may be recommended as part of your personalized treatment plan.

Replaces a diseased bone with healthy bone and blood vessels from your own body. A new, healthy bone is typically grafted from a piece taken from your fibula, the smaller of two bones in your calf.

Our surgeons can amputate above the knee and re-attach your ankle and foot to your thigh to replace your removed, diseased knee joint. You may work with our physical therapists and prosthetists to learn to use a custom prosthetic leg to restore your ability to walk with the function of a below-knee amputation instead of an above-knee amputation.

We will explore all treatment options before recommending amputation, which removes all or part of an arm or leg to make sure your cancer is gone.