Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft-tissue sarcomas comprise a family of rare cancers that develop in the body's soft connective tissues: nerves, fat, muscle, and blood vessels. These cancers most often occur in the arms and legs, though they can arise in almost any part of the body.

At the Orthopaedic Oncology Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, our specialists are experts at treating all soft-tissue sarcomas. After achieving a diagnosis with an expedited biopsy, we will create a plan personalized to your needs that includes the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatment strategies. We also take pride in offering the compassion and resources to help you overcome the challenges of a new cancer diagnosis.

Why Choose MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper for Orthopaedic Oncology Care?

When you choose MD Anderson at Cooper for sarcoma care, you benefit from our partnership with one of the nation’s top hospitals for cancer care, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Our program offers you:

  • Expertise: Our cancer care team has extensive training and experience in this highly specialized field. You can trust that we’ll provide you with an accurate diagnosis and the most effective treatment plan for you.
  • Experience: Because soft-tissue sarcoma cancers are rare, it’s important that you see a medical team that treats a large number of patients with similar conditions. Our specialists perform more than 600 surgeries every year, more than any other center in the region. We understand the nuances of your diagnosis and the most up-to-date treatment strategies for the many different types of soft-tissue sarcoma. You can be confident that we’ll develop the most effective treatment plan for your specific circumstances.
  • Personalized care: Our surgeons are intimately involved in every aspect of your care, and we treat every patient like family. In addition to helping you decide on a comprehensive treatment plan, our surgeons go above and beyond to ensure they’re available to answer questions and address concerns, from the moment we meet you.
  • Team approach to treatment: The optimal treatment of soft-tissue sarcoma involves orthopaedic oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists. Our multidisciplinary team meets weekly to discuss each patient’s individual case, in order to coordinate the most appropriate and individualized treatment plan. Communication is critical to our success, and we take an organized, team-oriented approach to solving these challenging problems.
  • Access to clinical trials: With the backing of MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the nation’s pioneers in medical oncology research and development, our doctors are active in a wide variety of clinical trials. All patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper are candidates for promising, cutting-edge treatment options that may not be available anywhere else in the region.
  • Full range of support services: We recognize the emotional and psychological toll that cancer can take on your life. To help alleviate this stress, we offer services to support you during diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, including nutrition guidance and rehabilitation services after surgery. Read about our extensive cancer care support services.

Symptoms of Soft-Tissue Sarcoma

Common symptoms of soft tissue sarcoma include:

  • A new or growing lump, especially on your arm or leg but could be anywhere on your body
  • Pain
  • Numbness or tingling

Soft-Tissue Sarcomas We Treat

There are more than 50 types of soft tissue sarcoma, and our specialists have experience treating the spectrum of these tumors throughout the body. Some of the common ones include:

  • Myxofibrosarcoma
  • Liposarcoma
  • Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma/malignant fibrous histiocytoma
  • Synovial sarcoma
  • Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma
  • Angiosarcoma

Treatment for Sarcoma

Treatment for soft-tissue sarcoma is highly personalized and depends on multiple factors. A team of doctors will evaluate you and consider all of these details prior to recommending the optimal treatment strategy. These factors include:

  • The type and location of the mass
  • Your age and overall health
  • Disease stage
  • How you tolerate specific medications, procedures, or therapies
  • Your preferences and goals

Your doctor may recommend one or multiple treatments based on the specifics of your condition. Our doctors specialize in limb-sparing surgery, which can allow many patients to avoid an amputation.

Soft-tissue sarcoma treatment can include:

  • Surgery
  • Radiation therapy
  • Chemotherapy

Contact Us

To learn more about the soft-tissue sarcoma cancer services available at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper or to schedule an appointment, please call 856.361.1754.

Refer a Patient

If you are a doctor who wants to refer a patient to MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper for sarcoma treatment, please call 856.361.1754.