X-ray of lower femur reconstructed with artificial (prosthetic) bone and joint after removal of Ewing's sarcoma tumor.

Current methods of treatment — surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy — may be used alone or in combination. Surgery is the primary treatment for most bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Prior to the 1980s, amputation was the common course of treatment. However, surgical advances, along with pre- and post-operative chemotherapy, now make it possible to save or reconstruct the existing limb in most cases. A wide variety of surgical modalities can achieve this goal:

• Removal of a limb's cancerous section.
• Specialized prosthetic joint replacement for cancerous joints.
• Bone transplant using allograft bone for bone replacement.
• Muscle transfers and other soft tissue reconstruction techniques.
• Blood and marrow transplant. In rare cases, a patient's physicians may determine that a blood and marrow transplant is the most effective treatment and refer that patient to the University's Blood and Marrow Transplant Program.

More specific information about treatment for specific types of sarcomas is provided in the Bone Cancer, Soft Tissue Cancer, and Pediatric Tumors sections.

Return to: Bone & Soft Tissue Cancers (Sarcomas)

Content development for the Bone & Soft Tissue Cancers (Sarcomas) section was supported by the Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Fund.