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Stage 4 Leiomyosarcoma Prognosis

Leiomyosarcoma is a form of sarcoma, a rare but aggressive type of cancer that attacks connective tissues such as smooth muscle tissues. Doctors may use several forms of treatment to fight this cancer.

  1. Leiomyosarcoma

    • According to the LMSarcoma Direct Research Foundation, leiomyosarcoma strikes involuntary muscles in places such as the blood vessels, digestive system and uterus. The cancer may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms of a leiomyosarcoma may include a mass or swollen area anywhere on a patient’s body, pain from compressed muscles and nerves or limping and other difficulties using limbs, according to Children’s Hospital Boston.

    Treatment

    • A physician may treat a patient with a leiomyosarcoma by surgically removing a tumor, according to the LMSarcoma Direct Research Foundation. Other treatments such as chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy and radiation therapy may be used in conjunction with surgery.

    Prognosis Factors

    • The prognosis for successful treatment of leiomyosarcoma depends on the extent of a patient’s disease, the location and size of the tumor and the overall health and age of a patient.

    Stage 4

    • Stage 4 leiomyosarcoma has spread to other parts of the body, possibly including the lymph nodes. Patients with stage 4 leiomyosarcoma are less likely to experience successful treatment of the disease than stage 1 patients who are treated before a tumor has a chance to spread.

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