Sarcoma Treatment

Sarcoma treatment in Israel is based on the results of recent research in the field of Oncology, to achieve a positive effect on all stages of the disease.

Herzliya Medical Center specializes in contemporary oncology treatments in Israel, providing care to patients from all over the world.

Herzliya Medical Center boasts impressive successful results in sarcoma cancer treatment due to the high professional level of the oncologists and cutting-edge hospital technology, allowing to introduce innovative methods of cancer treatment characterized by high efficacy and safety for the patients.

What distinguishes sarcoma from other cancers?

Sarcomas are a group of malignant neoplasms that, in contrast to other types of cancer originate in the cells of the connective tissue (bone, muscle, cartilage, blood vessels and fat). Being in various internal organs, sarcoma can quickly reach large sizes, providing significant mechanical pressure germinating in neighboring organs, damaging the nerve trunks and blood vessels, as well as metastasizing. Unlike epithelial tumors (carcinoma, or skin cancer) sarcoma often spreads throughout the body. It is vital to reach an eיאפarly diagnosis and receive professional treatment because of rapid tumor growth and metastatic spread, to change the further prognosis.

Main types of sarcomas

Sarcomas are divided into two subgroups depending on the type of tissue from which the tumor originates.

The two types of sarcoma are bone sarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas. Soft tissue sarcomas develop from soft tissues like nerves, muscle, fat and blood vessels. Most of them develop in the legs and the arms but can also be found in the head and neck and in the internal organs.

Bone sarcomas include:

• Chondrosarcoma – a malignant neoplasm originating from the cartilage. Hitting cartilage tumor can destroy nearby bone and metastasize to the lungs predominantly
• Osteosarcoma originates in the bone, rapidly infiltrating the bone structure, causing excruciating pain and pathological fractures. This type of tumor is characterized by early metastasis to the lungs and the brain
• Ewing’s sarcoma – a kind of bone sarcoma, which predominantly affects the long bones

The primary lesion of soft tissue sarcomas are distinguished:

• Stromal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract with a primary lesion of the stomach, small or large intestine
• Liposarcomas are malignant tumors of fat tissue. They can develop anywhere in the body, but they most often develop behind the knee, in the thigh or inside the back of the abdomen
• Rhabdomyosarcomas derive from striated muscle cells and most often affects the skeletal muscles of the limbs
• Leiomyosarcomas originate in the smooth muscle cells of the internal organs
• Synovial sarcoma develops from cell membranes and articular muscle fascia
• Fibrosarcoma cells begin in the connecting walls of the interior of the muscle tissue, tendons, and articular structures
• Neurofibrosarcomas – a malignant tumor of the peripheral nerve sheath
• Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma – originates from undifferentiated stem cells and often differs in a rapid and aggressive course.

Common Symptoms of Sarcoma

Clinical manifestations of tumors are extremely varied and depend on their histological type, location, and stage of the disease. The rapid growth of tumors, as a rule, lead to the violation of the functions of the affected organ and cause discomfort and pain. Growing forms of sarcoma mark an increase of symptoms such as involvement of the neighboring organs and the appearance of metastatic lesions. The first sign of sarcoma makes be a leg or an arm with a lump or swelling. As sarcoma can develop in elastic tissues the tumor can push normal tissue as it grows, therefore sarcoma can grow quite large before causing pain. Slow-growing forms of sarcoma, especially in the abdominal cavity can reach a considerable size before the onset of the first clinical manifestations. The importance of timely diagnosis requires immediate medical attention in the event of suspected sarcoma symptoms.

Diagnosis of Sarcoma in Israel

Herzliya Medical Center Private Hospital holds all the necessary diagnostic procedures to determine the presence, type, and stage of the disease. Among the widely used methods for diagnosis of sarcoma in Israel, the following should be noted:

• Methods of X-ray and visual diagnostics, including x-ray studies using a contrast agent, Ultrasound, CT, PET-CT, MRI, and isotope bone scan
• Endoscopic diagnosis of hollow organs, the use of fiber-optic studies of the abdominal cavity (with the possibility of diagnostic laparoscopy biopsy) has an important diagnostic value
• A biopsy allows accurate final diagnosis.

Sarcoma Treatment in Israel

After careful diagnosis, oncologists at Herzliya Medical Center Private Hospital develop an individual treatment program, taking into account the histologic type of the sarcoma, the stage of the disease and the general condition of the patient. Among the main methods of modern treatment of sarcoma in Israel it is important to note:

• Radical surgery with the aim of a complete tumor removal; it is by far the main treatment for localized types of sarcoma and allows for a timely intervention to achieve a full recovery
• Chemotherapy is an effective treatment that is widely used before and after surgery. In cases where it is impossible to remove the tumor, chemotherapy is the main treatment for sarcoma and successfully controls the growth of malignant cells and the spread of the disease
• Innovative techniques and targeted immune therapy sarcoma opens prospects for effective treatment of relapsing forms of the disease with minimal side effects

Timely treatment for sarcoma by highly skilled medical oncologists at Herzliya Medical Center, ensuring maximum effectiveness of the treatment, restoring hope for recovery.