In July, we bring awareness to Sarcoma and Bone Cancer. Sarcoma is the general term used for a broad variety of cancers that begin in the bones and soft tissues of the body.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are more than 70 different types of sarcoma. Soft tissue sarcoma can affect any form of tissue that connects, supports, or surrounds other structures of the body. This includes muscle, fat, blood vessels, tendons and the lining of your joints. Soft tissue sarcoma is the most common form of sarcoma. Bone sarcoma, which usually develops as a tumor inside the bone, is most commonly found in children.
Each year, there are about 12,000 cases of soft tissue sarcomas and 3,000 cases of bone sarcomas diagnosed in the United States, the National Cancer Institute reports.
Because of the variety of places sarcoma can appear, symptoms may not be noticeable right away. The most common symptoms are trouble breathing, unexpected weight loss, swelling in affected areas, fatigue, pain in the bones, unexpected breakage of a bone after a minor injury, or a painless/painful lump.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you may want to consult your primary care provider for a consultation. Following a consolation, your primary care provider may want to run a biopsy, most commonly used to detect bone sarcomas, or a Computerized Tomography (CT) scan, most commonly used to detect soft tissue sarcomas, of the affected area to determine if you have sarcoma.
If you need a CT scan to test for soft tissue sarcoma, Box Butte General Hospital’s (BBGH) Diagnostic Imaging can help. Once a week, BBGH has a radiologist on-site to perform diagnostic procedures and interpret the exam. If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, call 308-761-1311.