Sarcoma Program Our Services

Patients of the Sarcoma Program have access to the most advanced diagnostic and treatment options available. Adult supportive care is available through the CompleteLife Program whose staff compassionately support and educate our patients by tending to the emotional, mental, social and spiritual needs of our patients. Supportive care for children is available through various programs at Riley Hospital for Children.

Diagnostic Tools

Bone and soft tissue cancer diagnosis may be aided by one or more of the following tools:

  • clinical examination
  • X-rays, CT, MRI and PET scanning to take pictures of the inside of the body to look for cancer
  • biopsy to remove cells or tissues from the affected area for examination under a microscope using special pathology procedures

    • Therapeutic Options

    Treatment options for bone and soft tissue tumors include one or more of the following, based on the most current treatment recommendations and the needs of the patient:

  • surgery using limb salvage procedures to remove the cancer and sometimes surrounding healthy tissue or lymph nodes while saving the limb from amputation
  • chemotherapy to kill cancer cells with drugs, including innovative chemotherapy protocols being tested in clinical trials
  • radiotherapy to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors

    • IU Simon Cancer Center patients have access to all standard treatment therapies and, for those who qualify, clinical trials for care options not yet available elsewhere. Information is also available about ongoing clinical studies elsewhere in the United States.