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Liposarcoma is a type of soft tissue sarcoma that is rare and can occur at any age but commonly found in older adults. It is a cancer type that starts from the fat cells. Liposarcoma is most commonly detected in the abdomen or limb. The most common choice of treatment is surgery as well as other treatments are also applied aside from surgery (e.g., radiation therapy).
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of liposarcoma differ based on its location:
Liposarcoma in the arms and legs symptoms:
- Pain
- Swelling
- A mass that grows under the skin
- Weakness of the extremities involved
Abdominal liposarcoma symptoms:
- Pain or cramps in the abdominal area
- Blood found in your vomit
- Abdominal swelling
- Constipation
- Blood in stool or black, tarry stool
- Feeling full even with a little amount of food consumption
If these symptoms persist and it worries you, consult your doctor.
Causes
The cause of liposarcoma is unclear but doctors suggest that it occurs when the fat cells undergo genetic mutation. This mutation instructs the abnormal cells to divide rapidly and outlive the healthy cells and later on forming a tumor.
There are various types of liposarcoma which can be categorized into those cells that are localized and slow, while the other category is fast growing and can invade other parts of the body.
Diagnosis
These procedures may be done to diagnose liposarcoma:
- Imaging tests. X-ray, Ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT) Scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) may be suggested by the doctor to visualize the tumor’s size and whether it has spread or not.
- Tissue Biopsy. A tiny sample of the suspected tissue is collected in a way that is determined by the location of the tumor and sent to the lab for analysis.
- Laboratory Tests. The prognosis and treatment of liposarcoma is decided after careful analysis of a pathologist who are experts in studying the tissues of the body and the blood. The pathologist uses lab examinations to study samples which may include molecular genetic testing, cytogenetic analysis, immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization.
Treatment
These are the treatment options for liposarcoma
Surgery
The surgeon aims to remove the whole liposarcoma from the body. However, if it has invaded other organs around it and it is impossible to totally remove, other treatment options may be done to reduce the size of the tumor to make it more accessible.
Radiation therapy
This is use of high-powered energy beams are used through X-rays and protons to destroy cancer cells. Before surgical removal of liposarcoma, radiation may be utilized to reduce the size of the tumor and makes it easier to remove. Furthermore, radiation may be applied after surgery to kill the cancer cells which might have been left inside the body.
Chemotherapy
The medications are used in chemotherapy to kill cancer cells but it is not suitable for all types of liposarcoma. The pathologist needs to precisely examine the cancer cells in order to assess if chemotherapy is the right treatment option.
Furthermore, chemotherapy is also used before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor or after the surgery to destroy the cancer cells that remain. Chemotherapy can be used as a cancer treatment alone, or paired with radiation therapy.
