Sarcoma and Soft Tissue Cancers
Our Center for Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology is one of the largest and most experienced sarcoma treatment groups in the country.
Our Approach
The Center for Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors, both malignant and benign. The team represents one of the largest sarcoma treatment groups in the country.
Our patients also have access to The Harris Center for Chordoma Care, a specialized program at the Cancer Center dedicated to chordoma research and care.
Multidisciplinary Patient CareBecause the treatment of these cancers is complex, highly specialized experts are needed to guarantee the best possible outcomes. Each patient in our program is cared for by a multidisciplinary team of experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of sarcomas and connective tissue cancers. Each patient’s medical team works together throughout care and follow-up, ensuring a seamless continuity of care.
Among the specialists in our program are:
- Adult and pediatric medical oncologists
- Radiation oncologists
- Orthopedic oncology surgeons
- Musculoskeletal radiologists
- Specialized pathologists with expertise in bone and soft tissue tumors
- Specialized oncology nursing staff
ImagingOur program uses the most advanced technologies available to detect and stage sarcomas and soft tissue cancers. Among these techniques are:
- CT scans
- CT guided needle biopsy
- MRI
- PET and PET/CT
- Fine needle biopsy, in which a fine needle is inserted into the area of the suspect tissue and a sample is withdrawn
- Core needle biopsy, the same procedure as above, using a larger needle to gather more material. This is often done with image-guidance, using ultrasound or CT, to accurately guide the needle to the most appropriate location within the tumor.
- Incisional or excisional biopsy, in which a surgeon removes a portion of (incisional, used for large tumor) or the entire (excisional, used for small tumor) mass to obtain appropriate tissue to make the diagnosis
In addition, our pathology specialists are engaged in numerous research projects to develop better ways to diagnosis and understanding the pathogenesis of these tumors.
Comprehensive Treatment ApproachesOur multidisciplinary group of clinicians represents one of the largest sarcoma treatment groups in the country. Our orthopedic oncologists have dedicated their clinical practice to the treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors, giving them the ability to see a large number of patients with these rare tumors and making them leaders in their field.
A treatment plan for sarcoma or soft tissue cancer may include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy or some combination of all three. It may also include reconstructive surgery, possibly using soft tissue or bone grafts and/or bone prostheses (i.e. metallic replacement of bone involved by tumor).
Excellence in Surgical CareSurgery is an important treatment for these tumors. Ideally, the sarcomashould be removed with a clear margin of normal tissue around the tumor, at times following treatment with chemotherapy, radiation, or both. However, soft tissue and bone sarcomas can arise in difficult anatomic locations and may require sophisticated surgical expertise to remove them in their entirety with appropriate reconstruction to provide the best possible result. Our surgeons are expert in surgically treating cancers in these difficult locations, including:
- Extremity, where tumors can arise adjacent to major nerves, blood vessels, bones, and joints
- Abdomen, where intra-abdominal and retroperitoneal tumors often abut major organs, blood vessels, nerves, ureters, and bone
- Trunk, where surgical removal of the tumor often requires reconstruction of the abdominal or chest wall
- The use of multiple options to treat sarcoma has allowed surgeons to alter the operative approach to these tumors. Our surgeons helped develop several approaches to the treatment of these cancers, and are national leaders in performing these procedures, including:
- Limb-sparing surgery, which we helped pioneer and remain committed to advancing; today, only 5 percent of cancers occurring in the limbs require amputation
- Minimally invasive techniques to treat tumors of the abdomen, bowel, and other areas
- Plastic surgery performed by surgeons who specialize in correcting and repairing tissues damaged by sarcomas and their surgical removal
Among the radiation oncology approaches offered here are:
- Proton beam radiation, which delivers a high dose of radiation precisely to the tumor site while minimizing radiation to adjacent normal tissue, which may result in less radiation damage to surrounding tissues; our program has extensive experience using proton beam radiation to treat sarcomas of the skull base, spine, and pelvis
- Intra-operative radiation therapy, we remain one of the few centers in the country to offer this form of radiation during surgery to treat abdominal sarcomas
- Brachytherapy, in which catheters (tubes) are placed into the tumor bed, generally at the time of surgical removal, to allow the temporary placement of radioactive seeds, which are delivered directly into the sarcoma site
About This Program
Our program is one of the largest in the country, specializing in the treatment of sarcomas, a group of cancers that start in tissues like bone, cartilage, muscle, fat, nerve, blood and lymph vessels. Among the types of cancers treated here are:
- Soft tissue sarcomas
- Malignant fibrous histiocytoma
- Leiomyosarcoma
- Fibrosarcoma
- Neurofibrosarcoma
- Synovial sarcoma
- Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Liposarcoma
- Malignant fibrous nerve sheath tumor
- Angiosarcomas
- Kaposi’s sarcoma
- Desmoid tumor
- Bone Sarcomas
- Osteosarcomas
- Chondrosarcoma
- Ewings sarcoma
- Chordomas
Multidisciplinary Patient Care
Each patient in our program is cared for by a multidisciplinary team of experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of connective tissue cancers. This team includes surgical oncologists, adult and pediatric medical oncologists, orthopedic oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and musculoskeletal radiologists, as well as specialized nursing staff. We work together with the patient and their referring physician throughout treatment to ensure the best possible outcomes.
We also offer a comprehensive array of educational programs and support services, including help for parents with cancer and support for coping with work during treatment. Our goal is to address the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of patients and their families.
Innovative Approaches Advance Clinical Care
The conventional treatment options offered in our program are enhanced by clinical trials evaluating innovative therapies. Our researchers are recognized globally for their investigations to find better treatments for sarcomas and connective tissue cancers.
Among these leading-edge approaches are:
- Limb-sparing surgery, our specialists are national leaders in conducting this type of surgery to treat sarcomas of the bone and soft tissue
- Intra-operative Radiation Therapy (IORT)
- Our program is one of only a handful of centers nationwide to have a dedicated intra-operative radiation treatment facility in a specially built operating room to deliver radiation during surgery
- Proton beam therapy through the Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center, one of only a few centers in the country to offer proton beam radiation therapy, which delivers a high dose of radiation to the tumor while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue
- Hand and joint reconstruction and bone allografting (replacement) and prostheses
Promising Better Therapies
- We offer patients a multifaceted individualized approach to care, including:
- A personalized treatment plan created and coordinated by a team of specialists in all areas of sarcoma and connective tissue cancer care
- Sophisticated and timely diagnostics, including review by pathologists who specialize in sarcoma
- Access to the most advanced surgical, radiation, and medical therapies available
- Specialized nursing care and support services for patients and families
Treating Cancer Through Clinical Trials
Our specialists are also world-class scientists engaged in research to develop better therapies for the treatment of sarcomas and connective tissue cancers. Access to the latest research allows us to bring promising new treatments to patients as quickly as possible. Some of our recent or developing clinical trials include:
- Use of novel antiangiogenesis agents that stop the blood flow that feeds the tumor
- Studies to better understand chemoresistance, the process by which some patients develop resistance to chemotherapy agents
- Genetics studies to understand what leads to the development of sarcoma
- IGF1R inhibitors, which work to inhibit abnormal cell growth, especially nerve tumor and some bone tumor cells
Contact Us
Center for Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology
55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 877-789-6100
Chondrosarcoma
Chondrosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that develops in cartilage cells.
Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that develops in the osteoblast cells that form the outer covering of bone.
HOPES Program
The HOPES Program provides free wellness services, plus education and support workshops for patients with cancer, their families and their friends. Our services focus on helping you take care of your whole self – mind, body and spirit.
Maxwell V. Blum Cancer Resource Room
The Maxwell V. Blum Cancer Resource Room at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center provides cancer patients and their families with information and resources for living with cancer.
Illuminations Program
Illuminations is a rotating art exhibit displayed in the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. The program aims to enlighten and encourage patients and their loved ones by enhancing our environment of care.
Cancer Center
55 Fruit StreetBoston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-726-5130
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