Sarcoma is a term used to describe a whole family of cancers that arise in the body's connective tissues, which include fat, muscle, blood vessels, deep skin tissues, nerves, bones and cartilage. Sarcoma is broken down into two types:
- Soft tissue tumors -most common in the legs and arms, however, sarcomas can arise in any part of the body, including the abdomen, pelvis and head/neck region
- Bone tumors - mainly affect children and young adults and can grow in any bone in the body; however, most occur in the arms or legs
Sarcomas are rare and affect less than one percent of adults who have cancer. That means, if you have a sarcoma, you need a hospital that has a dedicated sarcoma program, capable of diagnosing and effectively treating this type of cancer. The University of Michigan Health System's Multidisciplinary Sarcoma Clinic cares for more than 250 new patients every year. By contrast, most community-based practices see fewer than 10 patients a year.
Because the clinic is part of the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, you will have access to excellent Patient/Family Support Services, which does a wonderful job of supporting patients and their families during the patient's treatment. Cancer specialists are available in social work, finance, nutrition and many other areas.
In addition, our physicians work as part of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Musculoskeletal Center, which addresses problems specific to bones, joints and tissues.
Diagnosis of Sarcoma
When you come to the University of Michigan:
- We will take your complete medical history and ask you about your pattern of symptoms.
- We will consult with your referring physician, if there is one.
- We may conduct tests such as X-rays, blood tests or bone biopsies.
Treatment for Sarcoma
When your physicians know the type of sarcoma, the location of the primary tumor and if there are any metastatic tumors in the body, all of the physicians who are involved in the discussion of your care develop their best plan for treatment. This may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of some or all of these.
Contact Us / Make an Appointment
- Cancer AnswerLine, 800-865-1125
- Orthopaedics, 734-647-8902
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR), 734-936-7175
- Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Pediatric PMR), 734-936-9814
We know you are about to make an important decision about your health care. We have years of experience and have helped thousands of patients. We can help you. Please schedule an appointment to discuss your condition by calling one of the telephone numbers above, or on our Contact Us page. Our staff will be happy to help.