lung cancer types and stages
Is it true that chemotherapy makes it worse when you have sarcoma cancer?
My cousin was diagnozed with the intestine cancer (I was told it was an uterine at first) a few weeks ago. The cancer has already spread to her lungs, kidneys and everywhere else. She had a surgery and they removed lots of it from the different parts of her body. She felt better but then the doctors run some tests and found out that it was a sarcoma type. I know that the sarcoma resists to the chemo therapy treatments but is it true that it might make it worse? I never heard of it but the doctor says that there is a chance that the chemo will make more damage than good. She was asking my mom whether she should go for chemo. Does anyone have any experience with sarcoma in such a late stage? What should we expect? What will happen next? And did someone at her situation lived for long? Is she going to experience a lot of pain? It’s hard for me to ask these questions her doctor because she is in Europe and I get all information on the phone only. I am scared.
There are over 60 different types of sarcoma and all are treated differently. So, it is difficult to respond to your question. It is not true however that sarcoma does not respond to chemotherapy. My son had a 75 percent response to first line high dose chemotherapy for abdominal sarcoma. He also underwent three major surgeries to remove the bulk of tumor. He had a treatment called intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion to treat the microscopic cells embedded in the abdominal cavity. He has also undergone low dose chemo maintenance with no evidence of disease for 8 months. Currently his disease is stable and he is asymptomatic and living with cancer.
It is highly recommended that your cousin locate a sarcoma specialist or be treated at a sarcoma center. Sarcoma is extremely rare and needs to be treated by someone who has had experience with the disease. Most doctors and oncologist have never seen or treated this type of cancer . . and many patients are misdiagnosed and their treatment delayed or ineffective because of mismanagement.
Sarcoma Centers – includes centers around the world
http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/master.html?SubCategoryId=2
Find out the exact name of your cousins sarcoma and than look for specific information about the disease. You can also visit the Sarcoma Alliance for information:
http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/
Medline Plus: Soft tissue sarcoma
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/softtissuesarcoma.html
What is a soft tissue sarcoma
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_is_sarcoma_38.asp
NIC: Soft tissue sarcoma
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/soft-tissue-sarcoma/
Cancerbackup: soft tissue sarcoma
http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Softtissuesarcomas
