Sarcoma Awareness Month 2021: The Deadly Cancer and Medical Technology

Cancer develops in many forms; some are common, some are easy to treat, and some are rare and difficult to treat. One such forgotten cancer is sarcoma- a rare, soft-tissue cancer that affects tissue structures in the body. The month of July commemorates awareness of this rare yet deadly cancer.

Omnipresent in the human body in the form of nerves, muscles, joints, blood vessels, bones- the connective tissues enable sarcoma to occur in all places. Given its initial microscopic occurrence within the body- it often goes undetected till the late stages of progression across the body- making it very difficult to treat cancer.

There are four main branches of sarcoma- 

1. Soft tissue sarcomas– occurring in cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, tendons, nerves, and around joints. 
2. Osteosarcomas develop in bone. 
3. Liposarcomas form in fat.  
4. Rhabdomyosarcomas form in muscles. 
5. Ewing sarcomas occur in bone and soft tissue.

Identifying most cancers is undertaken through the procedure of medical biopsy- the testing of a small sample of tissue taken by the doctor in a laboratory through medical equipment for biopsy.

No standard screening tests are present in the case of sarcoma. It is diagnosed through consolidation of clinical examination by a doctor, imaging tests, and biopsy results.

Imaging tests like X-rays reveal benign and cancerous tumors. A radiologist will perform imaging tests utilizing medical devices, lead aprons, and scatter armor shields. Interpretation and analysis help determine the nature of the tumors.

Biopsy medical equipment conduct biopsy and tissue tests to confirm the diagnosis and classify the type of sarcoma. A small amount of tissue is examined under a microscope to make a reliable diagnosis.

Treatment of sarcoma varies on a case-by-case basis. Treatment proceeds using one, all, or a combination of few methods below:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Targeted therapy
• External-beam radiation therapy
• Brachytherapy
• Proton beam radiation therapy
• Intraoperative radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy

The prognosis for sarcoma is bleak even after treatment. The low survival rate and a lower average age of occurrence make it more severe than other rare cancers. Some sarcomas have a five-year survival rate of 65% if discovered before metastasis. If found after metastasis, the five-year survival rate lowers to approximately 30%.

With improvements in research, medical technology, and pharmaceutical drugs, sarcoma can move from a deadly disease to a chronic but non-life-threatening ailment.

Some of our esteemed clients with specialised oncology departments in dealing with Sarcoma are Mediclinic, American Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Hospital Abu Dhabi, Zulekha Hospital, Burjeel Hospital, NMC Healthcare, Saudi German Hospital. Our clients in the U.A.E are well and fully equipped to treat and diagnose Sarcoma with trained doctors and state-of-art medical facilities, medical equipment and medical devices in the U.A.E.

Sarcoma is the forgotten and under-researched cancer whose research can benefit overall cancer treatment. Developments in medical technology and medical equipment in sarcoma cancer research can save several lives. It can also transform the medical industry globally. By bringing awareness to sarcoma and the potential development its research can spark, this potential can become a reality.