Sarcomas
Sarcoma is cancer that develops out of cells in connective tissues. It can begin in bones, cartilage, muscles, tendons, fibrous tissues, veins, arteries, nerves, skin, and fatty tissues. Sarcoma starts when cells in one of the connective tissues begin to grow abnormally. Cancer cells do not respond to regular cell growth, division, and death signals like healthy cells do. They also don’t organize normally. Instead they grow into a tumor, which may invade surrounding layers of tissue and possibly spread to other organs.
About half of sarcomas occur in the arms or legs. The rest occur in the head and neck area, internal organs, or retroperitoneum (the back of the abdominal cavity). The majority of cases (close to 11,000) are soft tissue sarcomas; the others are bone cancers, also called osseous sarcomas.
Types of Sarcomas We Treat
- Extremity
- Retroperitoneal/Intra-Abdominal
- Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST)
- Desmoid Tumors
- Ewuing’s Sarcoma Family of Tumors
- Giant Cell Tumor of the Bone
- Osteosarcoma
Our Approach
The physicians at the University of Washington Department of Radiation Oncology work very closely with your entire care team to determine which option treatment is best for you. Because of our team’s deep collaboration with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, you can be assured that your treatment plan will be highly individualized and based on latest the advances in cancer research.
Please contact us if you are interested in a consultation to discuss the options that best fit you.
