Sarcoma of the arm and shoulder girdle

Hand sarcoma is a malignant neoplasm that is not as common as lower extremity sarcoma. There are several types of hand sarcoma, all of which depend on the location of the tumor and its type. Let's look at the main lesions that are considered malignant hand tumors.

In the tissues and organs of the shoulder, as a rule, secondary sarcomas arise, i.e. metastases from other tumor sources. And this is not surprising, since there are many regional lymph nodes in the forearm area (mediastinal, sublingual, submandibular, axillary). The spread of the tumor to the shoulder area of the arm occurs from sarcomas of the neck, chest, head, cervical and thoracic spine. Sometimes metastasis is diagnosed in other parts of the body.

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Bone sarcoma of the hand

A malignant neoplasm that occurs as a result of metastases from sarcomas of the trunk. At an early stage, sarcoma progresses asymptomatically, but the tumor node gradually grows under the muscle tissue and begins to spread throughout the body of the bone. The tumor increases in size quite quickly and begins to damage and compress the nerve formations of the shoulder and blood vessels. Due to sarcoma, bone structures become significantly thinner, which is why the patient suffers from frequent fractures that occur due to minor injuries.

When the sarcoma begins to grow, it affects the nerve plexus of the shoulder and innervates the entire limb. Due to the compression of the nerve pathways, the pain syndrome spreads to the entire arm, even to the fingertips, causing sensitivity disorders. Because of this, the patient feels a burning sensation, numbness, and impaired motor functions of the arm.

Soft tissue sarcoma of the hand

Soft tissue neoplasms originate from vascular tissue cells or connective muscle layers that support nerve cells. Sarcomas of this type are quickly diagnosed, as they manifest themselves at early stages of development. Sarcoma causes pain in the area of tumor localization.

The neoplasm grows very quickly, after a few weeks, sarcoma can be recognized even by visual inspection. The neoplasm looks like a tumor protrusion with a change in the skin above it. Since the tumor grows rapidly, it leads to disturbances in the sensory and motor activity of the entire limb. The patient feels cold in the hand, swelling of the hand and numbness of the fingers appear.

Elbow joint sarcoma

The elbow joint contains blood vessels and many nerve pathways that are responsible for the innervation of the arm sections and its nutrition. All vessels and nerves are located close to each other, so even a small sarcoma damages all formations. Sarcoma begins to destroy the elbow joint. The patient feels unpleasant painful sensations when trying to bend and straighten the arm. The tumor quickly grows, penetrating the joint spaces and forming additional growths.

Shoulder sarcoma

Shoulder sarcoma is a malignant neoplasm that affects the muscles and tissues of the shoulder. Sarcoma can be primary and secondary, that is, it can appear as a result of metastasis of other tumor foci. Metastasis occurs because there are many lymph nodes in the shoulder area that penetrate the area. Shoulder sarcoma can be the result of a tumor in the neck or head, mammary glands, in one of the sections of the spine. Most often, shoulder sarcoma is localized in the area in the upper part of the deltoid muscle.

The most effective way to treat such sarcoma is surgery. A surgical oncologist removes the tumor by cutting off the affected part. An important stage in the process of treatment is the examination of the body for metastases and neoplasms in other organs, systems and lymph nodes. In addition to surgical treatment, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are used. Oncologists select an individual course of treatment for each patient to prevent relapses of the disease and metastasis.

Sarcoma of the hand

Hand sarcoma is a malignant tumor lesion of the upper limb. Sarcoma can be osteogenic, that is, affect the bone or affect only soft tissues. Let's take a closer look at both types of malignant neoplasms of the hand.

Osteogenic sarcoma of the hand

The disease is a lesion of the bone of the wrist. The neoplasm can be diagnosed at the early stages of development. Sarcoma looks like a small tubercle on the hand, which rapidly increases and grows. Tumor lesion of any part of the bone apparatus of the hand negatively affects the functional capabilities of the limb. If the joint surfaces are affected during the development of the disease, this leads to the development of pain syndrome.

Hand sarcoma is most often localized in the wrist area. The tumor grows so much that it begins to compress the nerves and blood vessels that feed the fingers. This leads to the fingers losing their sensitivity, and the strength of muscle contractions is significantly reduced. The tumor also spreads to the cartilaginous surfaces, which only increases the pain syndrome.

Soft tissue sarcoma of the hand

This type of sarcoma can be diagnosed at the first stages of development. This is explained by the fact that the hand is innervated and abundantly supplied with blood, and because of the tumor, small ligaments and muscles begin to function poorly and cause painful sensations. This leads to disturbances in the nutrition and blood supply of the hand, its motor activity and sensitivity.

Hand sarcoma can also spread to the fingers. In this case, the phalanges quickly swell, and the tumor continues to metastasize through the lymphatic vessels up the limb, affecting new tissues.

Sarcoma of the clavicle

Sarcoma of the clavicle is a malignant neoplasm that appears on the part of the skeleton that connects the torso to the arms. The clavicle is subject to frequent injuries and fractures, which is one of the factors in the development of sarcoma. Sarcoma of the clavicle can be primary and secondary. Secondary sarcoma appears as a result of metastases from other neoplasms and tumor sources. A tumor in the clavicle can affect the neck, lungs, chest, and even the abdomen. The disease progresses quickly, and its development depends on the type of sarcoma.

A neoplasm in the collarbone area is most often Ewing's sarcoma. Ewing's sarcoma is a malignant tumor. The peculiarity of this type of sarcoma is rapid and aggressive growth, early metastasis. Sarcoma of the collarbone affects long tubular bones in patients of all ages, and Ewing's sarcoma can also appear on soft tissues, without metastasis to the bone.

Sarcoma of the scapula

Scapular sarcoma is a malignant tumor lesion of a flat triangular bone. Since the scapula is located on the back surface of the chest, at the level of the ribs, the tumor can metastasize to the chest and affect the ribs. Sarcoma can appear as a result of trauma or develop due to metastasis from other tumor sources.

Scapular sarcoma may be chondrosarcoma or reticulosarcoma. The disease is diagnosed using X-rays. If necessary, an oncologist may prescribe a puncture or open biopsy. Treatment of scapular sarcoma involves surgery and interscapular-thoracic resection. In case of metastasis, radiation therapy and chemotherapy methods are used to destroy tumor cells.

Diagnosis of arm sarcoma is carried out at the early stages of the disease, since the tumor quickly manifests itself and becomes noticeable even during a visual examination. During diagnosis, computer and magnetic resonance imaging are used. To make a final diagnosis, tissue is taken from the tumor site and carefully examined under a microscope. The main method of treating arm sarcoma is surgery. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are also used to destroy cancer cells and prevent relapses of the disease.