Description

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that begins in the smooth muscle tissue. Many areas of the body have smooth muscle tissue. The areas with smooth muscle tissue, which include the digestive system, the urinary system, the blood vessels and the uterus.

Leiomyosarcoma most often starts in the smooth muscle tissue in the uterus, in the womb, or in the leg. It starts as a growth of the cells. Often grows quickly, and can move to other parts of the body.

The symptoms of leiomyosarcoma depend on where the cancer starts. There may be no early symptom of the disease.

Leiomyosarcoma is a type of soft tissue sarcoma. Soft tissue Sarcoma is a broad group of cancers that begin in the connective tissues. The connective tissues that connect, support and surround other body structures.

Symptoms

Leiomyosarcoma may not cause signs or symptoms in the beginning. As the cancer grows, symptoms may include:

  • Pain.
  • The loss of weight.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • A lump or swelling under the skin.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with a doctor or other health care professional if you have symptoms that concern you.

Causes

It is not clear what causes the leiomyosarcoma. This type of cancer begins when something changes the cells of the smooth muscles. Many areas of the body have smooth muscle tissue. These include the digestive system, the urinary system, the blood vessels and the uterus.

Leiomyosarcoma occurs when the smooth muscle cells develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA tells the cells to grow and multiply at a set rate. The DNA also tells the cells to die at a set time.

In cancer cells, changes in DNA gives other instructions. The changes tell cancer cells to grow and multiply at a rapid pace. Cancer cells can continue living when healthy cells would die. This makes too many cells.

The cancer cells may form a mass called a tumor. The tumor can grow to invade and destroy healthy body tissue. At the time, cancer cells can break off and spread to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads, it is called metastatic cancer.

Risk factors

Risk factors for the leiomyosarcoma include:

  • Be an adult. Leiomyosarcoma can occur at any age. But it is more common in adults. It is rare in children.
  • Having certain genetic disorders. People with certain genetic conditions may have a higher risk of leiomyosarcoma. These conditions include hereditary retinoblastoma and Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

Health professionals have not found a way to prevent the leiomyosarcoma.

Diagnosis

To diagnose leiomyosarcoma, a health professional could start with a physical examination to understand your symptoms. Other tests and procedures used to diagnose leiomyosarcoma include imaging tests and a biopsy.

Physical examination

A health professional may ask about your symptoms and your health history. The health care provider can examine your body to look for areas of swelling or lumps under the skin.

Imaging tests

Imaging tests make pictures of the inside of the body. The images can help your health care team to understand the size of leiomyosarcoma and where it is. Imaging tests may include:

  • The magnetic resonance imaging.
  • Computed tomography.
  • The positron emission tomography scan, also called a PET.

Biopsy

A biopsy is a procedure to remove a sample of tissue for testing in a lab. How a healthcare professional collects the biopsy sample depends on where the affected tissue is. For leiomyosarcoma, the biopsy is often collected with a needle. The healthcare provider puts a needle through the skin to obtain the sample.

The sample goes to a lab for analysis. The results can show whether there is cancer.

A biopsy for leiomyosarcoma should be done in a way that does not cause problems with the future of the surgery. For this reason, it is a good idea to seek care at a medical center that you see many people with this type of cancer. Experienced health care team will select the best type of biopsy.

Treatment

Treatment of leiomyosarcoma depends on where the cancer is, how big it is and whether it has spread to other areas of the body. Your overall health and what you want, are also part of the treatment plan.

Surgery

The goal of surgery is to remove all the leiomyosarcoma. But that may not be possible if the cancer is large or involves the organs nearby. Then, the surgeon may remove as much of the cancer as possible.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy treats cancer with powerful rays of energy. The energy can come from X-rays, protons or other sources.

Radiation therapy can be used before, during or after the surgery. You can treat the cancer cells that cannot be removed during surgery. The radiation therapy may also be used when surgery is not an option.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy treats the cancer with strong medications. The majority of chemotherapy drugs are given through a vein.

Health professionals may suggest chemotherapy to prevent the leiomyosarcoma of return after surgery. It can also be used to control the cancer that spreads to other areas of the body.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy for cancer is a treatment that uses drugs that attack specific chemicals in cancer cells. By blocking these chemicals, specific treatments can cause cancer cells to die.

Targeted therapy may be an option for leiomyosarcoma that grows or spreads to other parts of the body. Your healthcare provider can test your cancer cells to see if they are targeted medications can help.

Coping and support

With the time, you're going to find things that help you cope with your cancer diagnosis. Until then, you may find that it helps to:

Learn enough about your cancer to make decisions about your care

Ask your health care team about your cancer. Also, ask about the test results, treatment options, and, if you like, from your perspective, called the forecast. To know more about your cancer and your treatment options can help you make decisions about your care.

Keep friends and family close

Keep your close relationships strong can help you deal with your cancer. Friends and family can give you the support that you need, such as help to take care of your house if you're in the hospital. They can serve as emotional support when you feel overwhelmed by the cancer.

Find someone to talk to

Find a good listener who is willing to listen to you talk about your hopes and fears. This can be a friend or family member. The concern and understanding of a counselor, medical social worker, clergy member or cancer support group may also be useful.

Ask your health care team about support groups in your area. In the united States, other sources of information are the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society.

Preparing for your appointment

Start by making an appointment with a doctor or other health care professional if you have symptoms that concern you.

If your healthcare professional thinks that you may have leiomyosarcoma, you may be sent to a specialist. Often, the specialist is a doctor who treats cancer, called an oncologist.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

  • Find out what to do before your appointment. When you make the appointment, ask if there is something that you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.
  • Write down your symptoms, including any that may not seem to be linked to the reason of his appointment, and when they began.
  • Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
  • Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements that you take, including over-dose.
  • Ask a family member or friend to go with you. Someone that can help you remember the information that is obtained.
  • Write questions to ask their health professional.

For leiomyosarcoma, some basic questions to ask include:

  • Has my cancer spread?
  • More evidence is needed?
  • What are the treatments for my leiomyosarcoma?
  • What are the benefits and risks of each treatment?
  • There is a treatment that suggest about the others?
  • Are there brochures or other printed material I can have? What websites do you suggest?

Be sure to ask all the questions that you have.

What to expect from your doctor

Your health care team is likely to ask questions such as:

  • The symptoms been constant or come and go?
  • How bad are the symptoms?
  • What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
  • What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
Symptoms and treatment of Leiomyosarcoma