I hope you are already enjoying your weekend, I wish you the best, but do not stop taking care of yourselves, it is important to stay healthy so that whatever our life is we can live it to the fullest.
Today I come to talk about a type of cancer that is really very rare, it is estimated that it usually affects between 2 and 3 people per million inhabitants, however, it is still a type of cancer that can happen like any other disease and be diagnosed late, leaving fewer possibilities for a correct and timely treatment, I am talking specifically about Leiomyosarcoma.
And no, it is not a case that I have seen personally, like the disease that I presented yesterday, but rather this one I read recently as a diagnosis of a famous Colombian journalist, and that is why it caught my attention because I know that it is not very common. I will now present the most salient features of this disease. Therefore, I invite you to continue reading, because what I am about to tell you will probably be of interest to you.
Before getting into the topic itself, I would like to make the following description of the muscles, which is important in order to understand what exactly leiomyosarcoma affects, we basically have two types of muscle cells, which are the following:
Smooth muscle: which is a type of involuntary muscle found in the walls of internal organs, such as the stomach, intestines and blood vessels. This type of muscle has no bones to which it attaches, and its main function is to contract and relax to regulate peristalsis and the flow of blood and other body fluids. Over these we have no voluntary control.
The other type are the skeletal muscles, also known as voluntary muscles, are the muscles found in the skeleton that allow voluntary movement. Each skeletal muscle attaches to bones through tendons and allows coordinated contraction and relaxation to produce body movements, such as walking, running and lifting. These we can move at will.
Now, let's talk about what this type of cancer is:.
Leiomyosarcoma is a type of cancer of muscle tissue. It is a malignant tumor that forms in the smooth muscle fibers, which are the ones found in the internal organs and in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract, as I explained earlier.
It is basically of very internal growth in the organism, and that is why people usually feel discomfort, they self-medicate, and it is not until after a long time that they assume that they should go for consultation, when it is usually a little late already.
Usually, leiomyosarcoma arises in long muscles or in muscles found in the wall of the digestive tract, however, it is not the only site where this type of cancer can be diagnosed, I will mention some of the other organs and areas where it has been diagnosed:
Pelvic muscle: this is a long muscle found in the pelvis that helps control the movements of the hip and lower back.
Calf muscle: located in the back of the leg and is responsible for the movements of the knee and foot.
Back of the arm muscle: located in the back of the arm and helps control hand and forearm movements.
Stomach wall: the muscles of the stomach wall can be affected by leiomyosarcoma, although this is **less common than in other muscles.
Wall of the intestine: the muscles of the wall of the intestine can also be affected by leiomyosarcoma.
I would like to emphasize that not only can it arise in these areas that I have mentioned here, but that leiomyosarcoma can arise in other muscles of the body, and that the exact location of the tumor will depend on many factors, such as age, general health and the presence of risk factors (smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, family history of cancer, among others.).
In general it can be thought that cancer is incurable, that it is a kind of death sentence, and I understand that, it is not an easy disease for anyone, and to a great extent the evolution of the patient and the response to treatment will depend on many factors, where one of the main ones is the state in which the tumor is found at the time of diagnosis.
Thus, the treatment of leiomyosarcoma will depend on several factors, such as the size and location of the tumor, the stage of the cancer and the general health of the patient. But I could say that within the most important options are:
Surgery: this is a common option for the treatment of leiomyosarcoma. The goal of surgery is to remove the entire tumor and a healthy portion of the surrounding tissue to minimize the risk of recurrence.
Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is a treatment that uses radiation to destroy cancer cells. It can be used as an adjuvant treatment after surgery or as the sole treatment in cases of inoperable tumors.
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells. It can be administered intravenously or orally. Chemotherapy can be used as a single treatment or in combination with other treatments, such as surgery or radiation therapy.
Targeted therapies: Targeted therapies are treatments that use specific molecules to attack cancer cells without harming normal tissues. These treatments can be administered intravenously or orally. I recently shared a post where I talked about it, I invite you to read it below: Immunotherapy as a treatment for cancer
As I always point out, every patient is unique and the choice of treatment will depend on many factors, including age, general health and the presence of risk factors (and this applies to all diseases and treatments). For this reason, it is important to work with a healthcare team to determine the best treatment plan for each individual case.
The word CANCER will always generate fear, I can't imagine what I would feel or think if (hopefully it will never happen to me) I were diagnosed with any type of this disease, but the important thing is always to stay positive, take care of ourselves, and enjoy every day.
In general, the chance of cure for leiomyosarcoma is best when the tumor is detected and treated at an early stage.However, leiomyosarcoma is a type of soft tissue cancer that can be difficult to treat, especially when the tumor has spread to other parts of the body.
It is difficult to make an accurate prediction of the life expectancy of a person with leiomyosarcoma, as it depends on many individual factors. However, patients with leiomyosarcoma can live for years after receiving a diagnosis, especially if they are given adequate treatment and **emotional and medical support.
So much for my post today, I hope it has been very enlightening for you. I would like to know if you knew about this particular type of cancer, if you have anything to add you can leave it in the comments and we can all benefit from it.
