Soft Tissue Sarcoma Radiation Therapy, Treatment & Side Effects

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Radiation Therapy for Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Depending on the type of soft tissue sarcoma you have and the extent of the disease, your soft tissue sarcoma treatment plan at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) may include radiation therapy.

Though surgery is usually the main treatment approach for soft tissue sarcoma, radiation treatments may also be used before (neoadjuvant therapy) or following surgery (adjuvant therapy).

Sometimes, chemotherapy will also be included in your treatment plan to supplement surgery and radiation therapy. Receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatment during the same time period is known as chemoradiation therapy.

Advanced Radiation Treatment for Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas are very rare, and there are more than 50 different types that can be diagnosed. They can also be surrounded by sensitive tissues like nerves and blood vessels, or be located near vital organs such as the lungs or heart.

At CTCA, we have radiation oncologists and other experts who have experience in dealing with advanced and complex cases of soft tissue sarcoma. These radiation oncologists work side by side with our surgical oncologists, medical oncologists and other clinicians and specialists to help plan, coordinate and deliver radiation therapy.

We also use advanced treatments and high-tech radiation delivery methods to maximize the effect of soft tissue sarcoma radiation therapy, while minimizing side effects caused by damage to surrounding healthy tissues.

Types of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Radiation Therapy

Our radiation oncologists excel in both external and internal radiation therapy methods for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma:

External Radiation: Delivers high doses of radiation to soft tissue sarcoma cancer cells from a machine outside the body.
Internal Radiation: Delivers high doses of radiation from implants placed directly into or near a soft tissue sarcoma tumor.

Some of the soft tissue sarcoma radiation therapies available at CTCA include:

External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT)
High-Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy
Hyperthermia
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT)
TomoTherapy® HI-ART
Trilogy™

Supportive Therapies for Soft Tissue Sarcoma Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy for soft tissue sarcoma can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue and loss of appetite. At CTCA, your care team includes clinicians who offer supportive therapies to help you cope with such side effects. These supportive therapies are integrated with the treatments you receive.

For example, your naturopathic oncology provider at CTCA can recommend natural therapies to counteract nausea, such as homeopathic and herbal supplements. At the same time, your CTCA dietitian will help you receive the nourishment you need to maintain your strength so that you are able to complete your full treatment regimen.

In addition, your mind-body medicine team can help you relax with techniques like distraction and guided imagery, while our image enhancement services can help you look and feel better about yourself as you complete your soft tissue sarcoma radiation treatment.

Next Topic: EBRT for Soft Tissue Sarcoma