- Main symptoms
- 1. In the arms and legs
- 2. In the abdomen
- How to confirm the diagnosis
- Main types of liposarcoma
- How the treatment is done
Liposarcoma is a rare tumor that begins in the fatty tissue of the body, but can easily spread to other soft parts, such as muscles and skin. Because it is so easy to reappear in the same place, even after it is removed, or to spread to other places, this type of cancer is considered malignant.
Although liposarcoma can appear on any part of the body that has a fat layer, it is more frequent in the arms, legs or abdomen, and affects especially older adults.
Because it is a malignant cancer, liposarcoma must be identified as early as possible so that the treatment has a greater chance of success. Treatment may involve removing the tumor through surgery, as well as a combination of radiation and chemotherapy.
Main symptoms
The signs and symptoms of liposarcoma can vary according to the affected site:
1. In the arms and legs
- Appearance of a lump under the skin; Pain or sore feeling in the lump area; Swelling somewhere in the leg or arm; Feeling weak when moving the affected limb.
2. In the abdomen
- Abdominal pain; Bloating in the belly; Stomach feeling stuffed after eating; Constipation; Blood in the stool.
Whenever there is a change in the arms, legs or abdomen that takes more than 1 week to disappear, it is very important to consult a general practitioner, who will assess the case and understand whether it is necessary to refer to another medical specialty.
How to confirm the diagnosis
After evaluating the signs and symptoms, it is common for the doctor to order other tests to identify the possibility of being a liposarcoma. The most used exams are computed tomography, as well as magnetic resonance imaging.
If the result continues to support the hypothesis that it is a liposarcoma, the doctor usually orders a biopsy, in which a piece of tissue, removed from the nodule site, is sent for analysis in the laboratory, where the presence of cancer can be confirmed, as well as identifying the specific type of liposarcoma, to help with treatment adequacy.
Main types of liposarcoma
There are 4 main types of liposarcoma:
- Well-differentiated liposarcoma: it is the most common type and usually grows slowly, being more difficult to spread to other places; Myxoid liposarcoma: it is the second most frequent type, but it grows more quickly and can spread to other parts of the body, forming a different pattern with its cells; Undifferentiated liposarcoma: it grows rapidly and is more common in the arms or legs; Pleomorphic liposarcoma: it is the rarest type and it is the one that spreads faster in the body.
After identifying the type of liposarcoma, as well as its stage of evolution, the doctor can better adapt the treatment, increasing the chances of cure, especially if the cancer is at an earlier stage.
How the treatment is done
The treatment used can vary according to the affected site, as well as the stage of evolution of liposarcoma, however, it is relatively common that the first approach is done with surgery to try to remove as many cancer cells as possible.
However, as it is often difficult to remove all cancer with surgery alone, your doctor may advise you to do radiation or chemotherapy sessions.
Sometimes chemotherapy or radiation therapy can also be done before surgery, to reduce the size of the cancer and facilitate removal.
