Learn about common manifestations of soft tissue sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcoma has a low incidence and is a niche tumor that patients know very little about. Soft tissue sarcoma is heterogeneous, some of which are highly malignant, have a poor prognosis, and are insidious and the early symptoms are not obvious. Patients understand this disease as early as possible, which is conducive to clarifying their own condition and making psychological preparations to fight the disease.

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01

What are the most common manifestations of soft tissue sarcoma?

The most common manifestations of soft tissue sarcoma include lumps, pain, and symptoms of local compression, neurological dysfunction, and severe and even paraplegia. Patients often present with a painless mass that can last for days or more than a year, and the mass gradually enlarges, especially for tumors of the limbs.

The activity of soft tissue sarcoma is related to its location, pathological type and duration of disease. thereinto:

✨ Those with more fibrous tissue and smooth muscle components have a harder texture, and those with more blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and fat components have a softer texture.

✨ Low-grade malignancy, superficial growth site, greater range of motion.

✨ Soft-tissue sarcomas can metastasize along the lymphatic tract, and synovial sarcomas and rhabdomyosarcomas often have regional lymphadenopathy that sometimes fuse into clumps.

02

What type of package block appears

Need to be vigilant for soft tissue sarcoma?

Soft tissue sarcoma is a malignant tumor that occurs in fat, muscle, tendon, lymphatic vessels and blood vessels, and originates in mesophyll tissue.

The presence of lumps in the body is not necessarily a soft-tissue sarcoma. There are three main types of tumors newly discovered in any part of the body that are different from the original parts: benign tumors, malignant tumors and non-tumor lesions, such as subcutaneous hematomas caused by trauma.

When a new mass or a painless soft tissue mass rapidly enlarges in a short period of time at the previous surgical site, it is necessary to be vigilant for soft tissue sarcoma. Once an abnormal lump is found, it is recommended that the patient go to the oncology specialist of the regular hospital in time to carry out relevant examinations to clarify the diagnosis and avoid delaying the condition.

03

The area of the lump is very painful and cannot be touched,

Is it a severe soft-tissue sarcoma?

Not necessarily a soft-tissue sarcoma.

When the pain at the site of the mass is obvious and untouchable, clinicians usually do not first consider soft-tissue sarcoma. In most cases, soft-tissue sarcomas present as painless masses that grow slowly and generally last from months to years. There are also some malignant tumors that grow rapidly and increase significantly in size. Many soft-tissue sarcomas are accompanied by painful symptoms in their later stages. Soft-tissue sarcomas generally have a rich blood supply, and the skin temperature at the tumor site is higher than that of the surrounding normal tissue.

When the patient's local mass inflammation response is severe, the pain is obvious, and when soft tissue sarcoma is suspected, it is first recommended to go to the bone and soft tissue oncology specialist, also known as osteochondrology, orthopedic oncology, soft tissue oncology, sarcoma, etc.

If the hospital does not have these specialized departments, you can also go to the orthopedic or surgical department for a preliminary diagnosis, and then go to the soft tissue sarcoma specialty for further diagnosis and treatment. In order to avoid the risk of secondary surgery when visiting a non-specialist department, it is generally not recommended to perform surgery without a clear pathological diagnosis.

04

Do I need other treatments after soft tissue sarcoma surgery?

Surgery is one of the main treatments for soft tissue sarcoma. The vast majority of soft tissue sarcomas are treated on the principle of radical extensive resection.

For soft-tissue sarcoma with a high risk of local recurrence and distant metastasis, postoperative radiation therapy and chemotherapy should be supplemented by radiation therapy and chemotherapy, such as rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, synovial sarcoma, high-grade hemangiosarcoma, undifferentiated polymorphic sarcoma, etc.

Special emphasis should also be placed here on the role of comprehensive treatment, such as rhabdomyosarcoma, which was previously treated with surgery alone, and the efficacy was very poor, and about 90% of cases died of recurrent metastasis of the tumor. In recent years, the use of surgery combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy has significantly improved, and the 5-year survival rate has increased to about 60%.

In patients with large mass high-grade soft-tissue sarcoma and positive surgical margins, additional radiotherapy should be considered postoperatively.

05

What do I need to pay attention to in the diet of patients with soft tissue sarcoma?

The diet of soft tissue sarcoma patients should pay attention to the balance of nutrition and the reasonable intake of protein, and patients need to maintain a good nutritional status to cope with various clinical treatment methods.

After surgical resection in patients with soft tissue sarcoma, nutritional support should be strengthened during the recovery period of surgery, which is conducive to the recovery of surgical incisions. Need a high-protein diet, such as lean meat, fish, milk, eggs, etc., eat more green leafy vegetables, fruits to supplement vitamins, improve the body's immunity.

For patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma, in the process of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, gastrointestinal adverse reactions often occur, common nausea, vomiting, anorexia, constipation and so on. Generally, a light diet is the mainstay, avoiding too greasy foods, while eating more vegetables and fruits to keep the stool unobstructed. Appropriate increase in nutrition is conducive to improving the patient's physique, so that anti-tumor treatment such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be carried out smoothly and achieve the best efficacy

Reviewer of this issue

Professor Zhuang Rongyuan

Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University

Member of the Retroperitoneal and Pelvic Floor Diseases Committee of the Chinese Association of Research Hospitals

Cancer Rehabilitation Branch of Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics

Member of the Precision Medicine Expert Committee

Member of The Integrative Medicine Branch of Shanghai Medical Doctor Association

Member of the Lymphoma Professional Committee of Shanghai Anti-Cancer Association