Overview
Sarcomas are cancers of connective tissue. They fall into groups based on whether they arise in soft tissue or bone.
- Soft tissue sarcomas can originate from cells of muscle, fat, nerve, fibrous tissue, deep skin tissue or blood vessels. However, in many cases, the cell of origin is unknown. Soft tissue sarcomas most frequently are found in the arms or the legs, but can occur anywhere in the body.
- Bone sarcomas more commonly occur in adolescents and young adults. The most common types are osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma. Osteosarcoma, a cancer of the part of the bone that gives bone its strength, is found most often in the bones around the knee. Ewing sarcoma most often occurs in the bones of the pelvis, chest wall, or the middle of long leg bones, but can also presents in the muscles.
These tumors are different from other “cancers of the bone” such as breast cancer, which spreads to bone, or multiple myeloma, which arises from blood cells in the bone marrow.
Learn more about sarcoma, a 'forgotten cancer'.
Benefits of Proton Therapy
- High-energy, precisely-targeted proton beams can deliver high doses of radiation to destroy cancerous cells, reducing recurrence rates for many cancer cases.
- Proton therapy is non-invasive and may reduce side effects.
- Patients treated with proton therapy may have increased tolerance for chemotherapy.
- Patients can maintain their current quality of life during and after treatment.
- It is sometimes used effectively to treat areas that have already been treated with radiation.
