Sarcoma

Adult and pediatric bone and soft tissue cancer care in San Antonio

At Methodist Healthcare, our oncology experts are committed to bringing the San Antonio community the highest level of care. We offer the most advance cancer treatments in South Texas, including Minimally Invasive Surgery and Robotic Assisted Surgery. Our team includes several experts in sarcoma cancer care including orthopedic oncologists, medical oncologists, pediatric oncology specialists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and oncology certified physical therapists. We assist patients of all ages in determining the appropriate course of action for cancer treatment.

For more information about our sarcoma care and treatment options, please call askSARAH at (210) 507-0941.

What is sarcoma?

Sarcomas are rare cancers that develop in the bones and soft tissues, including fat, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, deep skin tissues, and fibrous tissues. Sarcomas are categorized as soft tissue or bone sarcomas, depending on where they develop in the body.This rare cancer type is most often found in older adults, and early symptoms include painless lumps and swelling. Some sarcomas may not cause any symptoms until they develop and press on nerves, organs or muscles.

Sarcoma cancer types we treat

• Adult Soft-Tissue Sarcoma - Soft-tissue sarcoma forms when cancerous tumors develop in the soft tissue, such as muscle, tendon, fat or nerve tissues. It can form anywhere on the body but most often affects the arms and legs. Symptoms include pain or discomfort near a tumor, swelling in the affected area, and pressure when the tumor presses on another organ or part of the body.
• Bone Cancer
• Ewing's Sarcoma - Ewing sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that occurs in bones or in the soft tissue around the bones. It mostly affects older children through young adults. Symptoms include bone pain, localized swelling, and tenderness.
• Osteosarcoma - Osteosarcoma is a type of cancer that originates in the cells that form your bones. Symptoms can include bone pain and swelling or discomfort in the affected area. Osteosarcoma is often found in children and young adults. Treatment can include radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgical removal of the cancer.

Diagnosing Sarcoma

If your physician thinks you may have sarcoma, you may undergo a comprehensive diagnosis to best identify the sarcoma type and an appropriate treatment plan. Diagnostics include:

• A sample of cells from the tumor, called a
• Imaging tests, such as a CT scan, an ultrasound, or an MRI
• A bone scan, if you might have osteosarcoma

Cancer treatment

Your cancer care plan can involve various forms of targeted therapy or surgical removal of cancer cells, if necessary. Sarcoma is treated with a combination of therapies depending on what type of sarcoma you have, where it is in the body, how developed it is, and whether or not it has metastasized. Treatment options include:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Pain management