By:Giselle Acosta
Sarcoma, a type of cancer that affects the bone and soft tissue of someone’s body, is not widely known and is often called the “forgotten” or “overlooked” cancer. This is due to its difficulty to be diagnosed as it presents in many ways.
Sarcoma forms when mesenchymal cells undergo genetic mutations and spread throughout the body’s tissues and bones. This change causes an increased amount of cell growth, so instead of going through apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death, these go through an increased rate of growth and multiplication. The large number of cells then form a tumor where it then effects and destroys healthy tissue cells around the body.
Sarcoma is hard to diagnose due to its variety of ways that it presents itself such as lumps, swelling, pain, and even bone swelling. Not to mention that it is much more prevalent in children (15%), than adults (1%) which makes it harder to diagnose since many children cannot accurately describe how they feel. These overall disadvantages have given Sarcoma the nickname the “forgotten” cancer. With the expanding light shed on this cancer, Sarcoma may just not be so forgotten anymore.
Although it is serious and can be aggressive, sarcoma gets remarkably little attention in both public conversations and medical research. Awareness initiatives, funding, and media attentionare much smaller in scale compared to more recognized cancers like breast, lung, or prostate cancer. The absence of transparency leads to obstacles for patients from facing challenges in locating information about the illness, to navigating access to specialized treatment.
Research Funding is another aspect in which sarcoma faces a disadvantage, the lack of visibility for Sarcoma leads to be lower on the list of importance when being allocated money for research. Cancer advocacy organizations state that sarcoma research is given a smaller amount of national and global cancer research funding than its seriousness demands. This slows down the speed of advancement in creating new diagnostic instruments, specialized therapies, and treatment strategies. Often, sarcoma patients are provided with treatment options from decades ago, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, which may not be effective for all subtypes.
Enhancing awareness and boosting financial support can result in many advancements. By focusing more on this uncommon cancer, scientists could investigate new and innovative strategies like immunotherapy, gene therapy, and precision medicine, which have shownpotential in addressing other cancer types and even lowered their mortality rates and help with recovery. More awareness may also boost early detection, which is frequently essential forimproving survival rates and the quality of life for patients, especially since many of the patients are young and may not know what to expect.
Every July, Sarcoma Awareness Month seeks to shed light on this uncommon and dangerous cancer. Through advocacy, education, and fundraising, organizations and individuals strive to highlight sarcoma. The yellow ribbon represents awareness for sarcoma, and during this month, narratives from patients, survivors, and caregivers are shared to inspire hope for those battlingthe illness. Activities like fundraising walks, digital campaigns, and webinars are conducted to encourage early detection, assist patients, and advocate for increased research.
While sarcoma impacts a smaller number of individuals compared to several other cancers, its effects are equally devastating and equally deserving of focus. The impact on patients and families is considerable, affecting them physically, emotionally, and financially. However, with prompt diagnosis, availability of specialized treatment, and greater public awareness, results can enhance. When individuals are informed and engaged, supportive communities, improvedtreatment choices, and hope become more attainable. Just because Sarcoma is rare doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be informed and learn about what is a reality for others who may need your support to fight for their cancer to not be the “forgotten” cancer.
