Treatment of recurrent adult soft tissue sarcoma may include the following:

• Surgery (wide local excision) with radiation therapy before or after surgery.
• Surgery (amputation).
• Radiation therapy followed by limb-sparing surgery.
• Surgery to remove cancer that has recurred in the lungs.
• Chemotherapy with 1 or more anticancer drugs.
• A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs.
• A clinical trial of high-dose chemotherapy with or without stem cell transplant.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with recurrent adult soft tissue sarcoma ¹.

Glossary Terms

Surgery to remove part or all of a limb or appendage.

Treatment with drugs that kill cancer cells.

A type of research study that tests how well new medical approaches work in people. These studies test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease. Also called a clinical study.

Any substance, other than food, that is used to prevent, diagnose, treat or relieve symptoms of a disease or abnormal condition. Also refers to a substance that alters mood or body function, or that can be habit-forming or addictive, especially a narcotic.

An intensive drug treatment to kill cancer cells, but that also destroys the bone marrow and can cause other severe side effects. High-dose chemotherapy is usually followed by bone marrow or stem cell transplantation to rebuild the bone marrow.

One of a pair of organs in the chest that supplies the body with oxygen, and removes carbon dioxide from the body.

The use of high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy), or it may come from radioactive material placed in the body near cancer cells (internal radiation therapy). Systemic radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance, such as a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody, that travels in the blood to tissues throughout the body. Also called radiotherapy and irradiation.

Cancer that has recurred (come back), usually after a period of time during which the cancer could not be detected. The cancer may come back to the same place as the original (primary) tumor or to another place in the body. Also called recurrence.

A cancer that begins in the muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, blood vessels, or other supporting tissue of the body.

A method of replacing immature blood-forming cells that were destroyed by cancer treatment. The stem cells are given to the person after treatment to help the bone marrow recover and continue producing healthy blood cells.

A procedure to remove or repair a part of the body or to find out whether disease is present. An operation.

Surgery to cut out the cancer and some healthy tissue around it.