Uterine sarcoma

This is a malignant tumor that arises from the smooth muscle or connective tissue of the uterus.It usually occurs after menopause. The two main types are leiomyosarcoma (cancer that begins in smooth muscle cells) and endometrial stromal sarcoma (cancer that begins in connective tissue cells).Uterine sarcoma is a rare kind of cancer in which the cells in the muscles or other supporting tissues of the uterus become cancerous, and represents 1% of gynaecological cancers overall. This is very different to endometrial (uterus) cancer

Symptoms

Most sarcomas manifest as abnormal vaginal bleeding and, less commonly, as pelvic pain or a palpable pelvic mass

· Abnormal vaginal discharge

· Pelvic pain

· Pain

· Post coital bleeding

· Fullness sensation

· Dyspareunia

· Bleeding after menopause

· Vaginal mass

· Abdominal pain

Medical Tests & Diagnosis

Uterine sarcoma may be diagnosed, staged, and treated in the same surgery.Surgery is used to diagnose, stage, and treat uterine sarcoma. During this surgery, the doctor removes as much of the cancer as possible. The following procedures may be used to diagnose, stage, and treat uterine sarcoma:

· Laparotomy: A surgical procedure in which an incision (cut) is made in the wall of the abdomen to check the inside of the abdomen for signs of disease. The size of the incision depends on the reason the laparotomy is being done. Sometimes organs are removed or tissue samples are taken for biopsy.

· Abdominal and pelvic washings: A procedure in which a saline solution is placed into the abdominal and pelvic body cavities. After a short time, the fluid is removed and viewed under a microscope to check for cancer cells.

· Total abdominal hysterectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the uterus and cervix through a large incision (cut) in the abdomen.

· Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: A surgical procedure to remove both ovaries and both fallopian tubes.

· Lymphadenectomy: A surgical procedure in which lymph nodes are removed and examined to see whether they contain cancer. This procedure is also called lymph node dissection. For a regional lymph node dissection, some of the lymph nodes in the tumour area are removed.

Treatments

Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is a type of local therapy. It affects cells only in the treated area. Radiation therapy is used alone for small tumors or for patients who cannot have surgery. It may be used before surgery to kill cancer cells and shrink the tumor. It also may be used after surgery to destroy cancer cells that may remain in the area.

Surgery : Physicians at Mayo Clinic typically recommend that liposarcomas be surgically removed whenever possible. Surgeons try to remove the primary cancer completely while minimizing the impact on the function and appearance of the affected part of the body. Patients who undergo surgery receive a thorough evaluation by an anesthesiologist prior to surgery.

Computed tomography (CT) : is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing. Digital geometry processing is used to generate a three-dimensional image of the inside of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation.

Hormone therapy: Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing. Hormones are substances produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream. Some hormones can cause certain cancers to grow. If tests show the cancer cells have places where hormones can attach (receptors), drugs, surgery, or radiation therapy are used to reduce the production of hormones or block them from working.