Synovial Sarcoma - Causes, Symptoms, Prognosis, Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Synovial sarcoma

Synovial sarcoma, or malignant synovioma, is a tumor lesion of soft tissues in the area of the joints of the legs, arms or neck. It is a fairly rare form of cancer, diagnosed in 2-3 out of a million people. Most often, synovial sarcoma affects people between 15 and 25 years old and is more common in the male population.

The disease affects the synovial membranes of the joints, tendons. Up to half of cases of synovioma develops in the joints of the legs, more often the knee. The second most common site of tumor localization is the hands. In more rare cases, the disease affects the neck or head. A common feature for synovial cancer is the ability to recur, returning within the first three years after treatment. In half of these cases, metastases spread to the lungs, lymph nodes and bone marrow.

Sarcoma metastases in every second case migrate and grow in the bone marrow, lymph nodes, lungs. Cases of detection of metastases in the prostate gland, in the heart and in the brain have been noted.

Synovial sarcoma is a dangerous and rapidly progressing disease that is difficult to treat. Therefore, the treatment of synovioma should be carried out by oncologists with extensive professional experience.

Content:

• Causes of synovial sarcoma
• Symptoms of synovial sarcoma <
• Diagnosis of synovial sarcoma
• Treatment methods
• Forecast

Causes of synovial sarcoma

The reliable reasons for the development of synovial sarcoma have not been clarified. There is a scientific assumption that the pathology is associated with the phenomenon of chromosomal translocation, in which there is an interaction between genes on different chromosomes, as a result of which a mutant gene appears that provokes a synovium.

Symptoms of synovial sarcoma

Malignant synovioma in the initial stages of tumor growth is asymptomatic, which complicates diagnosis and timely treatment.

Symptoms of synovial sarcoma depend on where it is located and may include:

• pain in the affected area;
• the appearance of a swollen tumor, which may be firm or soft;
• limiting the range of motion in the joint;
• heat;
• numbness due to the pressure of the neoplasm on the nerves;
• fatigue, lethargy;
• weight loss, poor appetite;
• enlargement of lymph nodes at the stage of metastasis.

If the sarcoma develops in the neck or in the head, then there is difficulty breathing and swallowing, often a change in voice.

Diagnosis of synovial sarcoma

Signs of a malignant synovioma can sometimes be mistaken for some other disease:

• inflammation of the synovial tissue - synovitis;
• inflammation of the joint capsule - bursitis;
• joint inflammation, or arthritis.

Therefore, close attention is paid to the diagnosis of the disease, and a whole range of tests is used to obtain accurate research results:

• immunological analysis of tumor tissue;
• a biopsy, in which a small piece of affected tissue is taken for detailed examination under a microscope;
• genetic testing to detect chromosomal abnormalities;
• angiography, or examination of the state of the blood vessels at the site of the tumor;
• X-ray of the joint;
• radioisotope scanning, since cancer tissue tends to accumulate strontium isotopes when they are introduced into the body.

Treatment methods

Synovial sarcoma is a serious condition and requires combination therapy. Treatment methods are similar to those for other forms of malignant tumors:

• surgery;
• radiation therapy;
• chemotherapy.

It is much easier to heal small growths that can be removed with surgery. For tumors that have passed into the stage of metastatic formation, one operation is not enough; in such cases, all therapy options are used.

Surgery is the main method of treatment that is indicated for synovial sarcoma. It allows you to remove the tumor in the place of its main localization and is effective in 50-70% of cases.

Chemotherapy involves the use of chemotherapy drugs; this method is always indicated in the presence of metastases. The main active ingredients of medicines are ifosfamide and doxorubicin hydrochloride, whose activity is aimed at destroying cancer cells and eliminating tumors. Chemotherapy is not a 100% successful method of treating synovial sarcoma, and the result is observed only if cancer cells are sensitive to cytostatic drugs.

Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, kills cancer cells using radiation. This method can be assigned:

• immediately before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor;
• after surgical treatment in case of detection of metastases.

Radiation therapy procedures are performed in the radiology department. Before starting treatment, thorough examinations are performed using computed tomography and MRI to determine the exact location of the cancerous tissue. This approach is necessary to eliminate the maximum number of tumor cells and optimally preserve healthy tissue.

To obtain the effect of treatment, radiation therapy is prescribed in several courses, which the patient undergoes for 4-6 months. Radiotherapy given after surgery significantly reduces the risk of recurrent cancers.

Forecast

The prognosis for synovial sarcoma depends on the size of the tumor, the presence of metastases, and the involvement of lymph nodes in the pathological process. For patients with early diagnosis, the prognosis is good. However, in people with tumors larger than 6 cm, there is a very high risk of metastasis, and if the metastases have spread throughout the body, then the prognosis for cure is poor.

Early diagnosis of the disease is of great importance for maintaining not only health, but also human life.

Every day the likelihood of metastases formation increases, so it is necessary to consult an oncologist at the first, even the most insignificant signs and changes in the joint area.

The author of the article: Bykov Evgeny Pavlovich | Oncologist, surgeon

Education: graduated from residency at the Russian Scientific Oncological Center. N. N. Blokhin "and received a diploma in the specialty" Oncologist"