As the tumor grows, it may cause other symptoms, such as pain or soreness, as it presses against nearby nerves and muscles. The only reliable way to determine whether a soft tissue tumor is benign or malignant is through a surgical biopsy. Therefore, all soft tissue lumps that persist or grow should be biopsied. During this procedure, a doctor makes an incision and removes a sample of tumor tissue, which is then examined under a microscope to determine whether cancer cells exist. In general, the type of sarcoma is not as important in selecting treatment as are its size, location, extent, and grade.
Surgery is a common treatment for soft tissue sarcomas.
When appropriate, radiation therapy used before or after limb-sparing surgery has been as effective as the more radical surgery used in the past. By using a combination of therapies, oncologists are now increasingly able to treat soft-tissue sarcoma of an arm or leg while preserving the affected limb. This method of radiotherapy can eliminate any remaining cancer cells while causing minimal damage to the nearby healthy tissues.