Diagnostic Pathology: Open Access
Open Access

Finding out you have cancer may change your life forever. Patients with rare cancers may have difficulties finding a doctor who is familiar with their particular form of cancer's treatment methods. Current sophisticated advancements makes sure that no matter how rare the condition, patients receive the best possible treatment. There is no official consensus that everyone agrees in terms of rare cancers. According to the Rare Diseases Act of 2002, which was designed to promote increased research funding for diseases typically overlooked by pharmaceutical firms, describes a rare disease is anything that is diagnosedin fewer than 200,000 persons each year. Breast, lung and prostate cancers as well as basal and squamous cell skin cancers are excluded. Cancers of the colon, bladder and kidney are also wellknown and so is non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Although cancer is the greatest cause of mortality in children aged one to fourteen, all pediatric cancers are considered rare. Less than 1 percent of cancers in the United States originate in the bone. Metastatic bone tumors, which occur when cancer spreads to the bone from other organs, are more common. Every year, tens of thousands of people are still diagnosed with these diseases. Others are so uncommon that just a few hundred individuals a year are diagnosed with them. This is certainly relevant if the physician only treats one or two patients a year or has only handled one or two in their entire career.

Except for the fact that they are uncommon, these diseases have nothing in common. Because each tumor type is different, it is necessary to approach each one accordingly. It's been a long time since uncommon cancer research was adequately supported. According to scientific studies, patients with cancer who are treated by oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, and other healthcare practitioners that specialize in treating their particular kind of disease had better results. Cancer healthcare professionals are better acquainted with the disease, its consequences, and which therapies are suited for the respective subset of patients. Furthermore, they are familiar with the toxicity of these treatments and can effectively manage patients with them. This requires judgment and expertise in this area.

A sarcoma is a malignancy that can develop nearly anywhere in the body from the cells responsible for forming the tissues that surround, penetrate, or connect internal organs. Their complexity brings various therapeutic problems that require the cooperation of experts from a wide range of medical disciplines in order to give the best possibilities of curing a patient's cancer while maintaining their quality of life. Subtypes of sarcomas differ in their behavior and genetic makeup. It is estimated that around 50 types for each subtype of sarcoma exist. Approximately 12,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with soft tissue sarcomas each year. Surgical intervention is curative for up to 75% of individuals with initial illness. To reduce a tumor or prevent the sarcoma from returning, radiation is often given prior to surgery. The development of targeted therapies for each individual sarcoma type might one day help such patients.