Treatment Options for Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Stage I Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Stages II and III Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Stage IV Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma

A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.

Treatment of stage I soft tissue sarcoma may include the following:

• Surgery (wide local excision or Mohs microsurgery).
• Radiation therapy before and/or after surgery.

If cancer is found in the head, neck, abdomen, or chest, treatment may include the following:

• Surgery.
• Radiation therapy before or after surgery.
• Fast neutron radiation therapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage I adult soft tissue sarcoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of stages II and III adult soft tissue sarcoma may include the following:

• Surgery (wide local excision).
• Surgery (wide local excision) with radiation therapy, for large tumors.
• High-dose radiation therapy for tumors that cannot be removed by surgery.
• Radiation therapy or chemotherapy before limb-sparing surgery. Radiation therapy may also be given after surgery.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by chemotherapy, for large tumors.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage II adult soft tissue sarcoma and stage III adult soft tissue sarcoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of stage IV adult soft tissue sarcoma that involves lymph nodes may include the following:

• Surgery (wide local excision) with or without lymphadenectomy. Radiation therapy may also be given after surgery.
• Radiation therapy before and after surgery.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by chemotherapy.

Treatment of stage IV adult soft tissue sarcoma that involves internal organs of the body may include the following:

• Surgery (wide local excision).
• Surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, followed by radiation therapy.
• High-dose radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy, for tumors that cannot be removed by surgery.
• Chemotherapy with 1 or more anticancer drugs, before surgery or as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy with or without stem cell transplant.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy following surgery to remove cancer that has spread to the lungs.

These treatments may be followed by surgery to remove lesions on the lungs.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage IV adult soft tissue sarcoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.