Sarcoma - a malignant tumor Malignant tumor: cells are mad Which may develop in the bone or soft tissue. Approximately 60% of sarcoma develops in the arms and legs, 30% - on the trunk, 10% - on the head or neck. Sarcoma relatively rare in adults - about 1% of cases. At the same time about 15% of cancers in children is sarcoma. In general, the sarcoma is a rare type of cancer.

The types of sarcomas

There are three main types of sarcoma:

• soft tissue sarcoma,
• bone sarcoma;
• gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

These categories comprise more than seventy different types of sarcoma. Types of defined tumor tissues in which they grow, genetic characteristics or molecular analysis.

The most common soft tissue sarcoma:

• fibrosarcoma,
• fibrosarcoma mixed,
• desmoid tumor
• liposarcoma,
• gastrointestinal stromal tumor,
• synovial sarcoma,
• rhabdomyosarcoma,
• leiomyosarcoma,
• Malignant tumors of peripheral nerve membranes,
• angiosarcoma,
• Kaposi's sarcoma.

Common types of bone sarcomas: chondrosarcoma, chordoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma.

Causes

The exact cause of sarcoma is unknown. Some inherited diseases can cause a predisposition to sarcoma, but in practice such cases occur very little. Patients who have suffered a child retinoblastoma - eye cancer, there is a genetic defect that increases the likelihood that in the future they may develop sarcoma. People with neurofibromatosis type 1 (a disease which can cause the formation of malignant or benign tumors) also are prone to sarcoma.

Sometimes sarcoma is found in patients who have had radiation therapy to treat another type of cancer. This sarcoma can develop many years after the end of radiotherapy Radiotherapy in cancer treatment: irradiation aid .

Medical intervention

Despite the diversity of types of sarcomas, they are treated with approximately the same (with a few exceptions, generally, when a sarcoma in children).

Patients with sarcoma of bone before and after surgery are often prescribed chemotherapy Chemotherapy - it always falls the hair? ; for soft tissue sarcoma, it is used less frequently. Sometimes radiation therapy is also used. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors tend to respond poorly to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. For their treatment can be used in new drug imatinib.

As shown

For the majority of cases, sarcoma characterized by the appearance of tumor formation, increases depending on the growth or slowly (over months) or quickly (within weeks). Some time sarcoma grows without causing changes in healthy tissues. Only later, when the surrounding tissues and organs involved in the process, there are signs that the defeat of the bones, joints, nerve trunks, muscles and so on. Manifestations of sarcomas located superficially different from sarcomas, or internal organs of deep tissues, which are more common tumor common manifestations of intoxication (poisoning by decomposition products of tissue).

For soft tissue sarcoma characterized propensity to germinate in the surrounding tissues and organs (bones, blood vessels, nerve trunks, skin, and so on). The first sign of soft tissue sarcoma - the appearance of the tumor, which has no clear outlines, sometimes pain. The temperature of the tumor is not different from the temperature of the surrounding tissues. In most cases, soft tissue sarcoma located on the limbs in the region of large arrays of muscle (thigh, shoulder, etc.).

For bone sarcoma is characterized by the appearance of pain, did not abate at night, limb dysfunction, the appearance of swelling in the bone. As tumor growth suffers function nearby joint. If the tumor can be felt, it is a late sign of bone sarcoma. When bone sarcoma all signs of the disease is increasing rapidly, often with the development of fractures of the affected bone. If it affects the cartilage disease develops slowly over several years.

Sarcoma often gives metastases (tumor cells are transferred to distant tissues and organs begin to develop there), the metastases spread through the blood and lymph vessels.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of sarcoma is based on its specific manifestations, as well as the results of X-ray and laboratory tests. With different types of X-ray studies determine the nature of tissue damage, the boundaries of the tumor and its extent. To detect metastases Metastasis - danger everywhere   the lymph nodes is carried out X-ray examination of the lymphatic system.

To study the structure of the tumor before treatment used puncture (puncture) a thin needle, which allows to obtain biological material to determine the cellular composition of tissues. If so you can not determine the nature of the tumor, then held open biopsy - taking a tumor tissue for research in diagnostic operations.

Treatment

Sarcoma Treatment should be complex. The main treatment - operational, but is widely used radiotherapy and chemotherapy (treatment with anticancer drugs).

Surgical treatment may be effective even in the presence of distant metastases in the lungs, the removal of which in some cases provides a long treatment. Soft tissue sarcomas are not very sensitive to ionizing radiation, but special techniques allow the use of this technique as a pre-treatment prior to surgery.

The choice of treatment depends on bone sarcomas sensitivity to radiation therapy if the tumor is sensitive to ionizing radiation, the operation is not carried out in the combined radiation and chemotherapeutic effect.

The prognosis for sarcoma depends on the stage of the disease and the characteristics of the tumor. Usually identified at an early stage tumors, good treatable

Galina Romanenko

Hemangiomas of bone are relatively rare, accounting for less than 1% of all types of hemangiomas. Most often, hemangiomas are located in the spine. This pathology can be detected at any age in both men and women. Most hemangiomas are asymptomatic spine.

Features of formation and flow of spinal hemangiomas

Hemangiomas of the spine - benign vascular tumors involving the vertebral bodies, which grow quite slowly.

This is clearly evident hereditary disease - hemangioma spine often occur in families where there were patients with hemangiomas other sites.

Most often affects the thoracic and lumbar spine, cervical and sacral - much less. Bone hemangiomas, as well as hemangiomas other tissues may be capillary or simple (composed of intertwined small blood vessels) ratsematoznymi (they are comprised of larger vessels), cavernous (with cavities filled with blood) and mixed, having in its consisting of both simple and cavernous hemangiomas.

Capillary hemangiomas are rarely compress the surrounding tissue, so do not come to light, and does not operate. Other types of hemangiomas can compress surrounding tissue and therefore require treatment. Vertebrae may be affected hemangioma Hemangiomas: benign tumor   partially or completely, and therefore distinguish several degrees of destruction.

How does hemangioma spine

Small hemangioma spine asymptomatic, but if they are large enough and compress the spinal cord or fabric extending from a spinal nerves then appear as backache Back pain: Do not start the process   or along nerves.

Sometimes there is a rapid growth of the tumor, which compresses the bone tissue, bone breaks inside wall and reduces bone strength as a whole. They often have pain in the affected vertebra and surrounding areas.

If the tumor growth continues, there can be a compression (compression of) the affected vertebral fracture, pinching of the spinal cord or the nerves extending from it and increasing pain, the occurrence of violations of sensitivity and movement. Back pain can be very strong, constant, aggravated by physical exertion.

Diagnosis and treatment of spinal hemangiomas

To detect spinal hemangioma is primarily carried out X-ray (overview spondylography). To clarify the location, extent and nature of hemangiomas conduct computer or magnetic resonance imaging (CT or MRI).

Pure surgery - removal of the tumor is rarely performed today, as during such an operation can only be removed soft tissue of the tumor and perform a partial resection of the affected vertebral bone hemangioma. But this does not preclude the recurrence of the disease. Operation dangerous by the fact that while it may start very heavy bleeding.

Radiation therapy for the treatment of vertebral hemangiomas also used less and less, because it does not destroy the hemangioma of bone that leads to recurrence of the disease. Furthermore, by irradiating the bone of the patient receives too high doses of irradiation.

Sclerotherapy (destruction of the tumor by administering it in alcohol) reduces the hemangioma, but the simultaneous vertebral bone damage that may eventually cause their compression fractures.

Embolization - is the introduction of the feed tumor blood vessel or a tumor specific thrombosing (closing the vessel lumen) substances. But this method also proved to be insufficiently effective, since it leads to widening of the small blood vessels in place zatrombirovannogo and relapse.

Today, the treatment of hemangiomas spine often used method of percutaneous vertebroplasty needle - into the vertebral body through a special device controlled by the X-ray beam a mixture of a bone cement, barium sulphate and titanium, having high viscosity. Hardening Cement is accompanied by release Discharges in women when there is cause for concern   heat which destroys the cells of hemangioma and increases the strength of the vertebral body. With this type of operation is also possible complications, but they are considerably less than with other types of treatment.

Treatment of spinal hemangiomas can be performed only in specialized neurosurgical department.

Galina Romanenko