Liposarcoma - what is it?
The content of the article
Liposarcoma (eng. Liposarcoma) is a cancer of soft tissue. Of all soft tissue sarcomas that occur in adults, liposarcoma accounts for about 20%.
The change can develop at different ages. Pediatric liposarcoma is very rare, but possible. These types of tumors most often occur in people between 50 and 60 years of age.
Both men and women can suffer from liposarcoma, however, the disease is more common in women.
Liposarcoma
Liposarcoma - causes and types
Liposarcoma develops when certain mutations cause fat cells to grow uncontrollably. However, what the exact causes of this type of genetic disorder are has not yet been established.
- Local sarcoma.
The most common tumor type is well-differentiated liposarcoma, which is characterized by local malignancy. This means that the tumor can invade adjacent healthy tissue, but overall it has a very low propensity for distant metastasis. Among its most characteristic features is the fact that it has an extremely high tendency to relapse. - Liposarcoma of the mucous membrane.
Another type of liposarcoma is mucosal liposarcoma, which is now associated with round cell liposarcoma tumor. This soft tissue sarcoma, in turn, is known for the fact that it often leads to distant metastases.
In addition to those listed, there is also multiform liposarcoma, also called polymorphic. This is a fairly rare type of sarcoma and is known to be extremely metastatic. And undetermined liposarcoma, since it has the characteristics of all the previously mentioned types of liposarcoma.
Liposarcoma - symptoms
With liposarcoma, symptoms depend both on the type and where exactly the lesion develops. It is possible—especially if the patient's tumor is growing very slowly—that symptoms of liposarcoma will not be present at all for a very long time.
However, possible signs of liposarcoma include:
- Pain. Whether liposarcoma hurts depends on the location and size of the lesion. Pain may occur, for example, in people who develop abdominal liposarcoma - when the tumor reaches a significant size, it can press on nearby organs and cause discomfort or pain.
- Thickening under the skin. Most often, liposarcoma is found in the extremities; for example, a tumor may develop on the thigh under the skin; in addition, liposarcoma is also possible on the back.
- Gastrointestinal disorders - constipation, which can occur, among other things, in patients who develop a retroperitoneal tumor.
- General symptoms of cancer. Among which, weight loss or a feeling of general, significant weakness are especially common.
Lump on thigh.
Natalia
7032 views
July 4, 2018
Hello! About 2 weeks ago, when I was lying down and my leg was bent at the knee, I noticed a lump on the thigh just above the knee, no different in color from the skin and not painful. But literally after a couple of days it began to turn red, especially in the evening, and when pressed it became painful. I don’t remember injuries to this place, I’m sure no one bit me, I just sometimes like to sit cross-legged, that is, tilt the ankle or foot of my left leg over to my right leg, but I don’t think that this could cause formation or inflammation. On the hematoma It doesn’t look like it either, because in 2 weeks the color would have already changed, but in the morning it hardly differs in color from the skin, whether it’s slightly pink, and in the evening it turns red and swells more. I did an ultrasound, they wrote that it was a forming lipoma, but the doctor Ultrasound was clearly not sure about this. While I was waiting in line to see the surgeon, I went to the local oncologist, who said that atheroma is more suitable for inflammation, but I don’t agree. I don’t have any point there, nothing stands out when pressed and it’s unlikely to be atheroma will be in such a place. Then the surgeon looked and said that according to the ultrasound photo the structure is lobulated and it is still adipose tissue there, but it is not clear why it is inflamed. Then I went to the clinic to see a paid surgeon, she told me that it was definitely not an abscess , but some kind of inflammatory process under the skin, but it doesn’t really look like a formation, because on palpation it’s just like an area of thickening of the skin, not a voluminous formation, motionless, obviously dark with the skin. I tried to smear with troxevaschin, diclofenac, applied dimexide. In my opinion, the effect is only from dimexide, the swelling clearly subsides, but still nothing goes away. I’m very afraid that this could be, I read on the Internet about sarcoma and I keep thinking about it. Some time ago I my blood always had an elevated ESR and sometimes a low-grade fever rose, but then this thickening did not exist. When I treated my gynecological problems, the ESR began to fall and the temperature no longer seemed to rise, except in the 2nd half of the cycle, I was just glad how it appeared this is a compaction. In general, lately I’ve just been happy about something, when a new problem immediately appears. The paid surgeon told me that she saw no reason for surgical intervention, but suggested that if it doesn’t go away within 10-14 days, then it will be possible make an incision and take a piece of this tissue for histology. It’s just that at the beginning of August, the whole family is planning to leave for the dacha until September, I won’t have medical care there, there’s not much time left and if the situation is not resolved, I’ll be nervous all the time .What do you recommend and what could it be? I am attaching a photo of the lump in the morning and in the evening, as well as an ultrasound scan. In the second photo you can see an area of clearing, so it doesn’t hurt there and it’s as if it’s thickened wrong, but where it’s red, there’s clearly lumps and are painful when pressed. When I walk and I bend my leg, I feel absolutely nothing. The yellowness around the edges is from troxevism, in fact there is no yellowness at all.
The question is closed
Liposarcoma - diagnosis
Patients with different types of tumors under the skin often wonder how to recognize liposarcoma? To make a diagnosis, just one examination is not enough, since the tumor is very similar to a harmless lipoma. Therefore, first of all, in order to distinguish the quality of the tumor, the dermatologist prescribes magnetic resonance imaging.
Magnetic resonance imaging
This study allows, among other things, to suspect liposarcoma, however, the diagnosis requires clarification using a histopathological examination that reveals cancer cells. First of all, histopathology allows us to accurately determine whether the change described in the studies is liposarcoma or lipoma. In addition, microscopic tests allow you to diagnose a specific type of tumor, identifying, for example, liposarcoma, myxoids.
Knowing the type of change is important to determine the patient's prognosis for cure. Material for histopathological examination is obtained by biopsy.
Diagnosis of soft tissue sarcomas
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE
The tumor can be easily detected if it appears on the upper or lower extremities and increases in size over several weeks or months. Generally, soft tissue swelling does not cause pain.
In the case of the development of soft tissue sarcoma in the abdomen, symptoms appear that are characteristic not only of a tumor disease. In 30-35% of cases, patients report abdominal pain. Sometimes the tumor puts pressure on the stomach and intestines or causes bleeding. If the tumor has reached a large size, it can be felt in the abdomen.
Only in 50% of cases is it possible to detect the disease in the early stages, since symptoms in patients with soft tissue sarcomas appear only when the tumor reaches a significant size.
Research methods
x-ray is performed to detect spread of soft tissue sarcomas to the lungs.
Ultrasound examination (ultrasound) allows you to examine internal organs and tumor formations. Computed tomography (CT) makes it possible to determine the extent of local spread of the tumor, as well as identify damage to the liver and other organs. In addition, CT is used for tumor puncture.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide more detailed information about the tumor and the condition of internal organs compared to CT. This method is especially useful when examining the brain and spinal cord.
Positron emission tomography (PET) helps to clarify the extent of the tumor process in the body. The study uses radioactive glucose, which is actively absorbed by tumor cells. Biopsy (taking a piece of tissue suspicious for a tumor for examination). Based on various studies, the only reliable method for diagnosing soft tissue sarcoma is to study the tumor under a microscope. At the same time, the type of sarcoma and the degree of malignancy (low, intermediate or high) are specified.
Liposarcoma - treatment
Surgery plays a fundamental role in the treatment of liposarcoma. Patients who develop a tumor, for example, on the hip, often fear having to amputate the entire limb. Unfortunately, this risk exists, but in general, amputations are only carried out when this is the final possible solution. If possible, conservative procedures are considered first.
The most important thing in the treatment of these changes is their complete removal with a supply of healthy tissue.
In addition to surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are used. They are especially useful when a patient's existing tumor has invaded important structures, such as major blood vessels, and the tumor cannot be completely removed. In this case, radiation therapy is effective. Then, when the patient develops multiple metastases, chemotherapy becomes the main treatment option.
Chemotherapy for the treatment of liposarcoma
Treatment methods
The main way to combat tumors and lumps on the skin of the thigh is surgery (surgical intervention). After it is carried out, the person recovers completely, but it is necessary to monitor his condition, prescribe a course of medications (analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics), give advice on adjusting lifestyle, nutrition, etc.
If the disease is benign, it is not dangerous and you can do without surgery. In such cases, therapy is carried out at home using folk remedies or medications prescribed by a doctor.
Liposarcoma - prognosis
The prognosis for liposarcoma depends primarily on the type of lesion. For example, people with well-differentiated liposarcoma can have a 5-year survival rate of up to 90-100% after appropriate treatment. Patients with liposarcoma multiforme, which is more likely to metastasize, have a much worse chance.
Another aspect to consider is the propensity for recurrence, which also varies depending on the type of tumor. Relapse of liposarcoma can occur after different times; it happens that the tumor recurs even several years after the end of treatment. This is due to the fact that lipomas grow very slowly.
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Which doctor should I contact if I have a lump under the skin?
If any compaction is detected on the outer covering, it is important to inform a physician about this to obtain advice and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Specialists to contact:
- dermatologist (consultation, disease diagnosis),
- surgeon (surgical treatment of complicated cases),
- oncologist (to identify the possibility of a cancerous tumor, prescribe chemotherapy, etc.).
Any lump on the inner side of the thigh requires immediate consultation with a doctor to obtain accurate information about the pathology, methods of treatment and prevention. If you prevent the development of the anomaly in time, you can avoid serious consequences and a long recovery.