The Sarcoma Specialty Care Center brings together a multidisciplinary team of leading experts in surgical oncology, orthopaedic surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, pain management, nutrition, and palliative care.
When treating bone and soft tissue sarcomas, diagnosing and determining the stage, grade, and subtype of sarcoma is essential when planning effective treatment strategies. UPMC’s Department of Pathology, one of the leading program’s in the country, is an integral part of the multidisciplinary team.
The Sarcoma Specialty Care Center employs comprehensive, state-of-the-art diagnostic evaluations to assist the treatment team in determining the best course for treatment. Patient assessments may include computed tomography (CT) scans, high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as a detailed radiographic evaluation, and an endoscopic biopsy or needle biopsy. Most biopsies are minimally invasive and may be done in the physician’s office. However, some sarcomas are of a size and location that may require an open biopsy, which is done under general anesthesia by a surgeon.
For sarcomas, many tumors require surgical removal in combination with chemotherapy and radiation therapy to prevent local recurrence. Sarcoma Specialty Care Center surgeons have extensive experience in the management of bone and soft tissue sarcomas.
The center’s orthopaedic surgeons use limb-sparing techniques to remove sarcomas when appropriate. During the procedure the surgeon works to spare healthy surrounding tissue when removing the tumor, which allows for a quicker recovery and less postoperative pain. Patients are often discharged within a few days.
While a majority of patients can benefit from this type of procedure, some tumors are of a size and extent that require traditional surgery. When this is the case, our surgeons take care in keeping incisions to a minimal size.
Sarcoma Specialty Care Center surgeons also have particular expertise in a number of highly specialized technologies, including regional therapy for treating diseases confined to a limb or organ. In many cases, UPMC surgeons have helped to develop or advance cutting-edge therapies, including:
Choice of therapies depends on the patient’s age, stage, and tumor type. The center’s medical oncologists specialize in the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas, and offer a full range of chemotherapy and biologic targeted therapies for all types and stages of cancer. Patients have access to the latest therapies and clinical trials through the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), western Pennsylvania’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Physician-researchers at UPCI are also members of a national network for clinical trials in sarcoma, which provides convenient access to cutting-edge clinical research opportunities.
Patients have access to the largest variety of advanced radiation planning and delivery systems available in western Pennsylvania.