Soft tissue cancer, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, nerves and the tissues surrounding the joint (synovia) are classified as ‘soft tissues’. Malignant tumors that develop in soft tissues are also called soft tissue cancers, ‘sarcoma’ in the medical language. As high as 60 percent of these tumors occur in the arms, legs and buttocks, while 40 percent develop in the chest, abdomen, head and neck. The cause of soft tissue cancer is still unknown. It usually occurs in young adults and children. In fact, 15% of childhood cancers are sarcomas.
CAN GROW PAINlessly
Acıbadem Dr. Şinasi Can (Kadıköy) Hospital Orthopedics and Traumatology Specialist Prof. Dr. Selami Çakmak warned that malignant soft tissue tumors can grow painlessly until they reach a size that can be noticed by the patient. It can be in the form of blunt and continuous mild pain. It is extremely important to take these pains into account for early diagnosis.
THE REASON IS NOT EXACTLY KNOWN
Although the exact cause of soft tissue tumors is not known yet, mutations in DNA are thought to be responsible for the development of this cancer. In addition, some hereditary diseases, some viruses such as lymphedema, HPV, radiotherapy, some industrial chemicals such as arsenic, some traumas and pesticides are among the factors that increase the risk.
SYMPTOMS VARY DEPENDING ON THE TUMOR AREA
Soft tissue tumors can grow for a long time without any symptoms. The symptoms vary depending on which part of the body the tumor has affected. It usually signals with swelling or mass in the arms, legs or trunk. prof. Dr. Selami Çakmak, stating that the swelling can be painful or painless, said, “If the malignant tumor is leaning against the bone or nerve tissue nearby and has damaged it; It may present as pain, numbness, tingling or inflammation. However, the pain can start insidiously; At first, it may be blunt and in the form of a constant mild pain. Pain that is not exacerbated by increased activity with movement can also develop at rest. It can worsen in the evening and at night. If the tumor has caused the weakening of the tissue in the bone where it is located, the bone can be broken with a simple fall or a slight trauma. Fever and night sweats may accompany these symptoms.
ONE OF THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT STAGES BIOPSY
After the detailed history and examination of the patient, body imaging methods such as x-ray, ultrasound, tomography and MRI are used to obtain information about the source of the problem, the location of the tumor in the body and, if any, the characteristics of the mass causing the problem. prof. Dr. Selami Çakmak pointed out that planning the ‘biopsy’ method is one of the first and most important stages in the decision and planning process of tumor treatment, and said, “Because incorrectly taken biopsies can negatively affect the treatment result. If the tumor is determined to be malignant as a result of the biopsy, the treatment phase is started immediately after examinations such as bone scintigraphy and PET-CT, which will examine other parts of the body.
WHICH TREATMENTS TO APPLY IS DEFINED BY TEAMWORK
The main treatment for soft tissue cancer is surgery, which is performed with wide margins, that is, the tumor is removed so that no residue is left in the body. Orthopedics and Traumatology Specialist Prof. Dr. Selami Çakmak says, “In some cases, chemotherapy or radiotherapy can be added to the treatment before or after the operation,” and continues: “Which of these treatment methods will be applied first is decided by a team consisting of an orthopedist, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and plastic surgery specialist. If the planning of the treatment is done well from the beginning, better results are obtained from the surgical treatment. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach and good planning play a key role in the success of the treatment.”