Soft tissue sarcoma is a group of tumors, of various histological types, that grow from adipose and muscle tissue, synovial membranes, blood vessels, nerve endings and other soft tissues. There are more than 100 histological types of sarcoma. These oncological diseases can develop at any age but most cases of pathology are diagnosed in people over the age of 55. The treatment of soft tissue sarcoma in Germany involves the use of extremely advanced techniques, including organ-preserving surgery, proton therapy, isolated limb chemoperfusion and targeted therapy.
Content
- Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma at Different Stages
- Proton Therapy for Sarcoma
- Organization of Treatment Abroad
The basis of treatment is the surgical technique. Before and after surgery, additional methods may be prescribed: radiation therapy, systemic chemotherapy, isolated limb chemoperfusion. In advanced stages of the disease, targeted therapy can be used.
The best clinics for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma are Vivantes Neukölln Hospital Berlin, University Hospital Essen, University Hospital of Ludwig and Maximilian University of Munich.
You are welcome to leave your request on the Booking Health website and we will help you successfully undergo sarcoma treatment in Germany. The specialists of the Booking Health Company will select the most suitable hospital and surgeon, draw up a preliminary treatment plan, take care of flights and accommodation and arrange medical insurance. You will receive a personal interpreter and medical coordinator for the entire period of treatment.
Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma at Different Stages
Stage 1 of the disease includes the presence of non-aggressive sarcomas up to 5cm in size. Only a surgical technique is required for the treatment of the disease at this stage. The doctor removes the tumor with the capture of healthy tissue too. With negative resection margins (absence of tumor tissue at the border of the incision), the treatment is complete at this point. There is a high probability that the tumor will not recur in the future.
If the resection margins are positive, the treatment options are as follows:
- repeated surgery;
- radiation therapy.
Sometimes the tumor is located in a place where it is difficult to remove it completely with sufficient indentation, for example, on the head, neck and in the abdominal cavity. In these situations, doctors may start treatment with radiation therapy and chemotherapy, to shrink the size of the neoplasm. In the future, doctors will look to try and perform the surgical intervention to completely remove it.
In most cases, doctors have to deal with soft tissue sarcoma at stages 2 or 3. These are high-grade tumors, larger than 5cm, often with lymph node metastases or a high risk of metastasis spread.
To treat these stages of the disease, doctors are required to remove not only the primary tumor but also regional lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are examined, this allows doctors to accurately determine the stage of the disease by identifying metastases and micrometastases. If the resection margins are negative and there are no metastases, then the patient will not need additional treatment after the surgical intervention. In other situations, radiation therapy is carried out in order to reduce the risk of recurrence.
With regards to large neoplasms of the extremities, the treatment may begin with chemoperfusion. Doctors perform a minor surgical procedure by connecting the blood vessels of the limb to a special device. An isolated circle of blood circulation is then formed through this. When passing through the device, the blood is saturated with oxygen and chemotherapy drugs are also added to it. They are delivered to the tumor in high doses but they do not enter the systemic circulation and do not cause systemic side effects. As a result, doctors manage to increase the dosage of drugs several times and reduce the size of the tumor before removing it. Once the procedure is completed, the vessels are sutured to restore natural blood circulation in the limb.
In Germany, doctors strive to save the limb in order to avoid disability. In very rare cases, it is necessary to resort to amputation.
Even at stage 4, some cases of the disease can still be cured. The most favorable form of the disease is considered to be soft tissue sarcoma with lung metastases. Doctors can remove the tumor and the part of the lung with metastases, to attempt to cure the disease completely. However, for most patients with stage 4 of the disease, chemotherapy and targeted therapy become the mainstay of treatment.
Proton Therapy for Sarcoma
Some specialized centers in Germany use proton therapy. Most foreign patients undergo this at the University Hospital Heidelberg or the University Hospital Essen. These hospitals offer large Proton Therapy Centers, with a moving gantry.
Proton therapy can be used in the following cases:
- to reduce the risk of recurrence after surgery;
- instead of surgery, if the tumor is inoperable or the person has severe illnesses that limit the possibilities of surgical treatment;
- prior to surgery, to reduce the tumor and make it possible to remove it;
- at the advanced stage of the disease, to control the primary tumor and metastases.
Proton therapy differs from conventional photon therapy, primarily in its safety. Protons emit almost no radiation when passing through healthy tissues, releasing most of their energy after reaching the target. Therefore, proton therapy causes post-radiation complications much less frequently.
Proton therapy is considered the most preferable treatment for soft tissue sarcoma in the following cases:
- irradiation of tumors that are located at a great distance from the surface of the skin;
- treatment of children and young patients (the risk of developing secondary tumors associated with radiation is reduced by 4-8 times);
- suppression of lung metastases.
Organization of Treatment Abroad
Booking Health is an international medical tourism agency which has been organizing the treatment of patients from 75 different countries, in leading clinics in Germany, for over 12 years.
With the Booking Health Company, you can undergo diagnostics and treatment of soft tissue sarcoma in Germany. The Booking Health website provides up-to-date information on the cost of the different types of treatment and you can easily compare the prices for diagnostics and treatment. Our medical advisors will recommend several suitable clinics from which you can choose from, where you can receive sarcoma treatment at the best price. With the Booking Health company, you entrust the restoration of your health to world-famous specialists.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk and Dr. Sergey Pashchenko. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
Sources:
European Society for Medical Oncology
National Cancer Institute
MedicineNet
