Sarcoma
Sarcomas are uncommon cancers that develop in your body’s connective tissues, including bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, nerves, blood vessels and lymph vessels. This group of cancers is quite rare, and each one is unique, requiring expert detection, treatment and rehabilitation for successful treatment.
“I have built relationships with patients, nurses, doctors and supportive care team members. Those relationships are what carried me through treatment and gave me the strength to continue to fight.”
- Hannah Komai, bone cancer survivor
Sarcomas are typically divided into two main types, bone cancer (osteosarcoma) and soft tissue sarcoma, which has over 50 classifications, depending on tissue type affected.
Precise sarcoma tests are crucial for treatment planning, and City of Hope is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and specialized staff to ensure an accurate, comprehensive diagnosis of these cancers.
Due to their unique nature in types and locations affected, sarcomas require a personalized treatment plan for the best clinical and quality-of-life outcomes. Our team comprises surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, rehabilitation and supportive care medicine.
Our patients have access to a wide variety of sarcoma clinical trials, including new chemotherapy, targeted and hormone therapies, surgical techniques, radiation approaches, and prevention strategies.
City of Hope is a nationally recognized leader in researching and treating sarcomas. Our clinicians and researchers collaborate extensively to develop and evaluate new therapies for better survival and quality-of-life outcomes.
When you come to City of Hope, you automatically gain access to an unparalleled array of support services to help you and your loved ones take each step during and after your sarcoma treatment.
For over a decade, U.S. News & World Report has named City of Hope one of the top cancer hospitals in America.
Our physicians have been consistently named "America's Top Doctors" by Castle Connolly. In addition, they are active participants in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, which sets evidence-based best practices for detecting, evaluating and treating sarcomas nationwide.
Our multidisciplinary staff pursues an integrated approach to treating sarcomas by combining the latest research findings with outstanding patient care. This includes using advanced technologies and specialized techniques such as:
- Minimally invasive surgical approaches that reduce discomfort, blood loss and recovery time
- Innovative limb-sparing surgeries — such as bone transport for the reconstruction of bone after tumor resection — that can preserve patients' range of motion and quality of life
- Expandable limb implants that can "grow" with the patient, eliminating the need for additional surgeries
- Bone transport to correct bone defects or limb-length discrepancies
- Highly precise radiation delivery that uses advanced imaging technology to guide radiation dose and focus, increasing its cancer-fighting effectiveness while minimizing exposure in normal tissues
- Individually customized chemotherapy and targeted therapy regimens, including isolated-limb delivery that may be more effective against cancer and less toxic to the patient
- Comprehensive rehabilitation program to help restore motion and function after treatment
- An adolescent and young adults program to address the concerns of sarcoma patients, who are typically diagnosed at a younger age
Additionally, City of Hope patients have access to our extensive team of supportive care experts, who will help you and your caregivers achieve and maintain a better quality of life during and after your cancer treatment.
City of Hope is one of the few facilities designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.
Our developments in the areas of breakthrough cancer drugs, bone marrow transplants and CAR T cell therapy are recognized internationally.
Our leadership in research and innovation continually enhances our ability to provide novel and differentiated approaches to cancer care.
Mark Agulnik, M.D., is a medical oncologist and section chief of sarcoma medical oncology the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research at City of Hope.
Clarke Anderson, M.D., is City of Hope's go-to professional for handling difficult and often heart-rending cases of cancer in small children, especially neuroblastomas, or tumors of the central nervous system.
Moshe Faynsod, M.D., is surgical oncologist at City of Hope ǀ South Bay in Torrance, California.
J. Dominic Femino, M.D., is chief of the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery and associate director of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Program.
Jae Y. Kim, M.D., is the chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery and an associate professor in the Department of Surgery. Dr. Kim specializes in esophageal cancer and lung cancer, robotic surgery, mesothelioma and thymoma.
Laleh G. Melstrom, M.D., M.S., specializes in melanoma and pancreatic cancers.
I. Benjamin Paz, M.D., is a nationally renowned surgical oncology surgeon, with expertise in breast cancer, gastrointestinal and rectal cancers, and tumors involving the bone and soft tissues.
Adam Rock, M.D., is a medical oncologist with a focus on lung cancer at City of Hope's main hospital in Duarte, California.
Sagus Sampath, M.D., Radiation Oncologist | City of Hope, Los Angeles, California.
Vijay Trisal, M.D., the Dr. Norman & Melinda Payson Professor in Medicine and chief medical officer at City of Hope, is an advocate for individualized patient care and expanding access to City of Hope’s advanced therapies and specialized physicians across local communities.
