Follow-up after treatment for soft tissue sarcomas

While most people recover well after surgery for soft tissue sarcomas, and are able to move around quite soon, some people take longer and need extra help. Before you go home, the medical staff will talk to you about your situation. If you live alone or have several stairs to climb, you may need some help at home.

If you have any worries about going home, make sure you discuss them with the medical staff in advance so that help can be organised. Children and teenagers often worry about falling behind at school. Home tutoring can often be arranged with the local education authority. The social worker on your ward will be able to organise this for you.

After your treatment has ended your doctor will want you to have regular check-ups and x-rays, in particular chest x-rays. These will often continue for several years. If you have any problems or notice any new symptoms in between these times (for example, a lump or swelling at the area of your operation), let your doctor know as soon as possible.

The gaps between your appointments will get longer as the years go on. This is because the risk of the cancer coming back gets steadily lower over time.

What if the cancer comes back?

Sometimes, the sarcoma may come back or spread to other parts of the body including, most often, the lungs|.

If tests show that you have a small amount of cancer in your lungs, it may be possible for you to have an operation to remove the part of the lung that is affected. If this operation is necessary in your case, your doctor will discuss it fully with you.

If the cancer comes back elsewhere, your doctor will talk to you about the different treatment options available in your situation. The most common treatment for people in this situation is chemotherapy.