Hello! I have just been diagnosed with synovial sarcoma. I have a large tumor on my foot. Surgery is the plan. They want to start chemo immediately even before the surgery. I am at least going to lose my foot. They are also checking me for mets. Have others had the chemo beforehand? I appreciate any info and support. I am 61 years old. Thank you. I am very fearful. Debbie.
It is common to get chemo before surgery. I had 4 cycles before my amputation. There are a few possible advantages, They will be able to see how your tumor reacts to chemo. This information could be valuable in the future. If the tumor size decreases significantly, they may change their mind about the amputation. If you have tumor cells traveling in your blood, they may get killed or go into dormant state for a while. This may slow down the disease.
Hey Debbie...Welcome! My husband Dan (age 41 years) is a synovial sarcoma warrior and I will be happy to share any of our experiences with you. He was diagnosed in June of 2011 and has had surgery...chemo...radiation...more surgery....more chemo and so on. With regard to his chemo he has so far tried: A.I.M (an Ifosfamide "cocktail"), Votrient (which he was unable to tolerate) and he is now on a Rapamune/Sutent combo. Feel free to fire any specific questions...Be well. xo Jeanne
I did six cycles of AIM followed by 28 radiation sessions prior to surgery. My tumor dropped in size significantly, allowing for surgery without amputation. After surgery I did more radiation and chemo (gemzar and taxotere). I’ve been in remission since the surgery, December 2011. I get an MRI next week to see if that’s still true.
Where are you being treated? Make sure you go to a sarcoma center!
Hi my son aged 11 diagnosed 2012 reckon it was in his foot 7 yrs, had lower leg amputation, no chemo or rt, 12th months cancer free