Treatment for soft tissue sarcoma

There are many different types of treatment for soft tissue sarcoma. Your treatment will depend on you and your cancer.


Treatment for soft tissue sarcomas depend on a number of factors including, the grade, type, location and size of the cancer as well your individual medical history, symptoms and personal preferences for treatment.

Types of treatment

The main treatment options for soft tissue sarcomas include:

  • Surgery – is a common treatment for most types of soft tissue sarcoma. Depending on where the tumour is located, the goal is to surgically remove the tumour and some of the healthy tissue surrounding it
  • Chemotherapy – uses specialist drugs that destroy cancer cells
  • Radiation therapy – uses radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells. Radiation can be used to treat soft tissue sarcomas in people where surgery isn’t suitable, for example in areas of the body where it is difficult to treat or in people who are not heathy enough to have surgery. It can also be used to help ease symptoms of sarcoma when it has spread (known as palliative radiation)
  • Targeted therapy – aims to destroy only cancer cells, whilst leaving healthy cells intact

References

For a full list of references, click here.
  1. Cancer Australia. (2018). Sarcoma fact sheet. Retrieved on 20 July 2020 from https://canceraustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/sarcoma-fact-sheet/pdf/sar_sarcoma_factsheet_0.pdf
  2. Australia and New Zealand Sarcoma Association. (2020). What is Sarcoma? Retrieved on 20 July 2020 from https://sarcoma.org.au/pages/about-sarcoma/what-is-sarcoma
  3. American Cancer Society. (2018). Risk factors for soft tissue sarcoma. Retrieved on 20 July 2020 from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/soft-tissue-sarcoma/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html
  4. Cancer.Net. (2019). Sarcoma, Soft Tissue: Risk Factors. Retrieved on 20 July 2020 from https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/sarcoma-soft-tissue/risk-factors
  5. National Cancer Institute. (2020). Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version. Retrieved on 20 July 2020 from https://www.cancer.gov/types/soft-tissue-sarcoma/patient/adult-soft-tissue-treatment-pdq#_26

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  • 04 896 0200
  • Level B3, Bowen Specialist Medical Centre 98 Churchill Drive Crofton Downs Wellington 6035