Sarcoma
Sarcomas are rare tumours that may grow in bone, cartilage or other soft tissues such as fat, muscle, nerves and blood vessels.
Sarcomas make up less than 1% of all cancers.
Sarcomas are often in the arms or legs but can also grow in the pelvis, stomach, chest, head and neck region or internal organs.
There are many types of sarcomas. Given how rare they are, people with sarcoma are usually cared for in a specialised sarcoma unit.
Sarcomas are often just a painless lump and other symptoms depend on where the sarcoma is.
Radiation Therapy and Sarcoma
The best person to talk to about radiation therapy for sarcoma is a radiation oncologist.
A radiation oncologist is a specialist doctor who is part of the team that takes care of people having radiation therapy.
You can ask your doctor for a referral to a radiation oncologist to learn if radiation therapy is an option for you.
The Treatment Team
Radiation oncologists make a treatment plan for each person based on:
- the type of sarcoma
- where the sarcoma is
- what other treatments have been tried
- the person’s health.
Treatment can include surgery, radiation therapy and drug therapy, such as chemotherapy or targeted therapies.
The type of treatment a person gets is worked out by a team of doctors and health professionals often called a Multidisciplinary Team.
A highly trained radiation oncology team takes care of people having radiation therapy. This includes radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, medical physicists and radiation oncology nurses.
Role of Radiation Therapy for Sarcoma
The main types of treatment for sarcomas are surgery, radiation therapy and drug therapy.
There are many types of sarcomas and the treatment team works out a plan for each person based on what will work best for them.
For most people with a sarcoma that has not spread doctors operate to remove it.
Treatment teams may also do radiation therapy after surgery to get rid of any last cancer cells and reduce the risk of the cancer coming back.
For people with soft tissue sarcomas, especially those in the leg or arm, doctors sometimes do radiation therapy before surgery to make it easier for the surgeon to take out the whole sarcoma and save the limb.
If a sarcoma comes back, or spreads, some people have palliative radiation therapy and chemotherapy to help with symptoms.
Types of Radiation Therapy Used in Sarcoma
External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT)
This is the most common type of radiation therapy doctors use for sarcomas.
The treatment team use a machine called a linear accelerator to do External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) from outside the body.
Radiation oncologists often use volumetric arc therapy or stereotactic radiotherapy, which are advanced types of external beam radiation therapy, to carefully deliver radiation to the areas that need to be treated.
During treatment people lie flat and still on the treatment couch, while the machine moves around them. People having treatment on their head or neck may need to wear a mask to help them stay still.
People usually get radiation therapy daily from Monday to Friday for up to 5 weeks. The radiation oncologist works out the right dose for each person.
General Information About Side effects of Radiation Treatment
Radiation therapy is more effective with fewer side effects than ever before.
Recent advances mean radiation oncologists can effectively treat the cancer while getting less radiation on healthy body parts. This means much fewer side effects.
Side effects from radiation therapy vary between people, even for those having the same treatment.
While some people feel no side effects, some feel mild side effects, such as tiredness or skin redness during and/or just after treatment. These usually get better within a few weeks.
The treatment team will offer advice and medicine to help with side effects.
Serious side effects that start later (months to years after the radiation therapy) are rare.
Before starting treatment, your radiation oncologist will talk to you about side effects and answer your questions.
The side effects of radiation treatment can be split into 2 groups:
- Early side effects which occur during and shortly after radiation treatment.
- Late side effects which can occur months to years after radiation treatment.
For more information, go to the Potential Side Effects page.
Early Side Effects of Radiation Therapy for Sarcoma
Short-term side effects from radiation therapy for sarcoma can include:
Fatigue: Feeling tired is common during radiation treatment, as the body works to heal.
Skin irritation: The skin around the treated area may become red, dry, or itchy, this can feel like sunburn.
Wound complications: If doctors use radiation therapy before surgery there can be a bigger risk of infection, bleeding or wound breakdown.
Late Side Effects of Radiation Therapy for Sarcoma
Late side effects vary between people and can happen a few months to a few years after treatment.
These side effects may never occur, occur once, continue over time, or come and go.
Stiffness in the soft tissues: Sometimes the soft tissues become hard and stiff. This is called fibrosis and may mean a body part doesn’t move as well. In most cases this is mild, but in some cases the stiffness can be bad. A physio can help.
Hair loss: Permanent hair loss can occur in the treated area.
Skin changes: Thinning and dryness of skin and changes in skin tone can happen after treatment. Blood vessels may also be more noticeable.
Second cancer: Cancers caused by radiation therapy are a very rare side effect.
Other Useful Resources for Sarcoma
Find additional information about cancer types, research groups, and support groups.
Radiation Oncologist
The best person to talk to is a radiation oncologist. You can ask your doctor for a referral to find out if radiation treatment is right for you.
GPs and Health Professionals
Information for any health professional involved in a patient's cancer care with a particular focus on primary care providers.
Talking to Your Doctor
Your GP or other doctors in the cancer team can organise a referral to a radiation oncologist.
Treatment Centres
Search and find your closest Radiation Oncology Treatment Centre.
