Liposarcoma

Liposarcoma is a rare cancer that develops from fat cells. It's most commonly found in the muscles of the arms, legs, or belly area. However, it can start in fat cells in any part of the body. This type of cancer is more common in older people, but it can affect people of any age.

Liposarcoma is a kind of soft tissue cancer. Soft tissue cancers develop in the body's supportive tissues, like muscles, tendons, and fat. There are many different types of soft tissue sarcomas, and liposarcoma is just one of them.

Usually, the treatment for liposarcoma involves surgery to remove the cancerous growth. In some cases, radiation therapy or other treatments might also be used, depending on the specific situation.

Liposarcoma symptoms vary depending on where the cancer develops.

If liposarcoma forms in your arms or legs: You might notice a gradually enlarging, hard lump beneath the skin. This lump could also cause pain and swelling. You might also feel weakness or a loss of strength in the affected limb.

If liposarcoma forms in your belly (abdomen): You could experience pain in your belly. Your belly might also swell up. You might feel full more quickly after eating, have trouble having bowel movements (constipation), or notice blood in your stool.

If you have any of these symptoms that don't go away and make you feel concerned, it's important to see a doctor or other healthcare provider. Early detection and treatment are key to managing liposarcoma.

If you have any health problems that don't get better and make you worried, see a doctor or other healthcare provider.

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Liposarcoma, a type of cancer, is tricky to understand. We don't know exactly what starts it.

It happens when something goes wrong with the instructions inside fat cells. Every cell in your body has a set of instructions, called DNA, that tells it what to do. In liposarcoma, changes in this DNA tell the fat cells to act like cancer cells. These changed instructions cause the cells to grow uncontrollably, multiplying much faster than normal cells. Crucially, these cancer cells don't follow the usual rules of the body's natural cell cycle. Healthy cells naturally die off after a certain time, but cancer cells keep dividing and living.

These abnormal cells clump together, forming a growth called a tumor. In some cases, the tumor stays in one place, just getting bigger and bigger as more cancer cells are made. But in other types of liposarcoma, the cancer cells can break away from the original tumor and travel to other parts of the body. This spread of cancer to other areas is called metastasis.

Diagnosing liposarcoma involves several steps to understand the cancer and create a treatment plan.

Imaging Tests: Doctors use imaging tests to create pictures of the inside of your body. These pictures can help determine the size and location of the liposarcoma. Common imaging tests include X-rays, CT scans (computed tomography), and MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging). Sometimes, a special scan called a PET scan (positron emission tomography) is needed for a clearer view.

Biopsy: A biopsy is a procedure where a small sample of tissue is removed for testing. This tissue sample can be taken with a needle inserted through the skin (a needle biopsy), or during surgery to remove the cancer (surgical biopsy). The best approach depends on where the liposarcoma is located.

Lab Tests: The tissue sample from the biopsy is sent to a lab. Doctors called pathologists examine the cells under a microscope. They look for signs of cancer cells to confirm the diagnosis and identify the specific type of liposarcoma. Other specialized tests might also be done to provide more detailed information.

Putting it all Together: The results from all these tests help doctors understand the extent of the cancer (how large it is and where it's located), its characteristics, and its potential behavior. This information, along with your overall health, is used to create a personalized treatment plan and predict the likely outcome (prognosis).

Mayo Clinic Care: Mayo Clinic has a team of specialists experienced in diagnosing and treating liposarcoma. They can provide comprehensive care and support throughout your journey.

Liposarcoma Treatment Options

Liposarcoma is a type of cancer that starts in fat cells. Doctors use several approaches to treat it, aiming to remove or destroy the cancer cells while minimizing harm to healthy tissues.

Surgery: The main goal of surgery is to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Surgeons try to take out the entire tumor without damaging surrounding organs. If the tumor is large or has spread to nearby organs, removing the whole tumor might not be feasible. In these cases, other treatments might be used to shrink the tumor, making it easier to remove during surgery.

Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams, like X-rays or protons, to target and kill cancer cells. Doctors might use radiation after surgery to eliminate any remaining cancer cells. Sometimes, radiation is used before surgery to shrink the tumor, improving the chances of complete removal.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses strong medicines to kill cancer cells. These medicines can be given through a vein or taken as pills. Not all liposarcomas respond to chemotherapy. Doctors perform tests on the cancer cells to see if chemotherapy is likely to be helpful. Chemotherapy may be used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells or before surgery to shrink the tumor. Sometimes, chemotherapy is used along with radiation therapy.

Clinical Trials: Clinical trials are research studies that test new treatments. They offer patients the opportunity to try the latest approaches. The potential side effects of these new treatments might not be fully understood. Patients should ask their healthcare team about joining a clinical trial.

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