Sarcoma is a severe and rare form of cancer that emerges from muscles, nerves, bones, and other connective tissues across the body. Its complexity makes diagnosis and healing challenging, but medical interventions have paved the way for promising treatment options and outcomes.</P> <P>One notable method is sarcoma radiation therapy. This article discusses how this procedure (particularly external beam radiation therapy) works on sarcoma and its potential side effects on patients.</P> <H2><STRONG>Understanding The Role of Radiation in Sarcoma Therapy</STRONG></H2> <P>Radiation therapy is a key treatment for soft tissue cancer that can be performed at any stage, from low-grade to aggressive and metastatic. It involves aiming intense beams of radiation at specific areas in the body to eliminate tumors and inhibit their growth. For example, if the detected cancer cells are in your abdomen, the technician will flash radiation beams only on your belly area.</P> <P>The procedure can be done after surgery as an adjuvant therapy, which helps remove residual tumors and prevents their recurrence. However, your doctor may postpone it to a month after your operation or longer since radiation particles can interfere with wound healing. Alternatively, radiation therapists can administer it before surgery as a neoadjuvant therapy to make the cancer cells smaller and more operable.</P> <P>In situations where the patient cannot proceed with surgery due to unideal health conditions, they can undergo radiation therapy as their primary treatment instead. Additionally, this method is suitable for palliative treatment, in which the high-energy rays help relieve sarcoma symptoms.</P> <H2><STRONG>External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT): A High-Precision Strategy</STRONG></H2> <P>EBRT is one of the most commonly used variations of radiation therapy to treat soft tissue cancer. It’s a non-invasive and painless approach to eradicating tumors without significantly harming healthy tissues. Moreover, the high-energy rays can be aimed from different angles for safer, more precise, and effective removal.</P> <P>An EBRT session typically lasts around 15 to 30 minutes. Sessions are often done daily, five days a week, and the overall treatment duration may take several weeks.</P> <H2><STRONG>What Side Effects Can Patients Experience?</STRONG></H2> <P style="margin-bottom:0px;"><A href="https://cochiseoncology.com/medical-oncology/">Sarcoma radiation treatment</A> may leave side effects that are manageable with proper care. Patients usually experience fatigue, but they can also observe more aftereffects depending on the area treated and whether the procedure was done pre or post-surgery. These include:</P> <UL style="margin-top: 0px;"> <LI>Nausea or vomiting</LI> <LI>Diarrhea</LI> <LI>Skin irritation, blistering, or peeling</LI> <LI>Limb weakness, pain, or swelling</LI> <LI>Lung damage or breathing difficulty</LI> <LI>Pain when swallowing</LI> <LI>Weakness in the bones</LI> <LI>Problems healing wounds</LI> </UL> <H2><STRONG>Get the Right Treatment for Your Diagnosis</STRONG></H2> <P>Radiation therapy gives patients more options for treating soft tissue cancer and hope for successful outcomes and recovery. If you or someone you know was diagnosed with sarcoma, contact Cochise Oncology’s specialists to explore viable therapies. Staying well-informed on your options and consulting with professionals is essential before deciding.
Chemotherapy has long been a standard method for treating cancer. However, through the medical industry’s ongoing efforts to develop a definitive cure, immunotherapy emerged as an equally prevalent and reliable treatment.</P><P><SPAN style="color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align);">Many doctors are administering both simultaneously or sequentially to improve patient outcomes. But how does combining them combat cancer?</SPAN></P> <H2><STRONG>Understanding Chemoimmunotherapy</STRONG></H2> <P>To understand how this synergistic treatment works, let’s first discuss <A href="https://cochiseoncology.com/medical-oncology/">chemotherapy and immunotherapy</A> separately. Both take different yet effective ways of fighting cancer:</P> <DIV style="margin-left: 40px;"> <H3><STRONG>Chemotherapy</STRONG></H3> <P>This treatment involves using powerful drugs or a combination to kill rapidly dividing cells, including tumors. It can function as a neoadjuvant (before surgery) therapy to diminish tumors and make them easier to remove. Alternatively, chemotherapy can also be an adjuvant (after surgery) therapy to eliminate any remaining tumors and minimize recurrence risks.</P> <H3><STRONG>Immunotherapy</STRONG></H3> <P>This procedure focuses on conditioning the immune system to detect and fight cancer cells using specially formulated drugs. It has multiple forms, such as cancer vaccines, which bolster the immune system with antigens that destroy residual cancer cells, stop growth, and prevent their recurrence.</P> <P>Another example is checkpoint inhibitors, which disable checkpoint proteins that shield cancer cells from immune cells and their attacks. Depending on the type of cancer being treated, immunotherapy drugs can be taken orally, infused into veins or the bladder, and injected under or applied to the skin.</P> </DIV> <H2><STRONG>Does Combining Both Make a Difference?</STRONG></H2> <P>Yes. In many cases, merging chemo and immunotherapy eradicates tumors more effectively than using either treatment alone. Chemotherapy breaks cancer cells apart, making them more visible and releasing antigens that trigger the body’s natural defenses to take action.</P> <P>Supplementing chemo with immunotherapy ensures that the immune system responds immediately and boosts the T-cells’ ability to spot and kill cancer cells. The treatment also targets tumors resistant to chemotherapy drugs, reducing their chances of re-growing.</P> <P>Chemoimmunotherapy has been proven effective in treating several types of cancer, including cervical, gastrointestinal, triple-negative breast, and non-small cell lung cancer. However, its effectiveness heavily depends on the patient’s cancer type, stage, and overall health condition.</P> <H2><STRONG>Potential Side Effects</STRONG></H2> <P style="margin-bottom: 0px;">Like in any cancer treatment, chemoimmunotherapy can leave side effects. Since chemotherapy drugs target fast-growing cells across the body, they can mistakenly damage healthy cells, resulting in complications like:</P> <UL style="margin-top: 0px;"> <LI>Diarrhea</LI> <LI>Fatigue</LI> <LI>Hair Loss</LI> <LI>Low Platelet, White Blood Cell, or Red Blood Cell Count</LI> <LI>Mouth Sores</LI> <LI>Nausea</LI> </UL> <P style="margin-bottom: 0px;">Immunotherapy drugs can inflame healthy cells, causing various immune-related effects like muscle or joint pain, high fever, skin itchiness/rashes, and fatigue. The inflammation can also affect the following:</P> <UL style="margin-top: 0px;"> <LI>Cardiovascular System</LI> <LI>Endocrine System</LI> <LI>Gastrointestinal System</LI> <LI>Nervous System</LI> <LI>Respiratory System</LI> </UL> <H2><STRONG>Is Chemoimmunotherapy Right for You?</STRONG></H2> <P>Merging chemotherapy and immunotherapy offers a more comprehensive and selective attack on cancer, enhancing survival rates and long-term disease control. However, working with a skilled oncologist and care team is crucial since every cancer patient’s circumstances are different. Consult Cochise Oncology today to determine whether this combined approach is ideal for your diagnosis.