
Explore
However, the evidence-based treatment for leiomyosarcoma comes from trials in which, in the majority of cases, no distinctions have been made among the different sub-types. ... Most of the new targeted compounds recently developed in oncology produce an arrest or a slowdown in the growth of tumor cells but they may not cause cell death. Based ...
What is the best treatment for leiomyosarcoma?
Leiomyosarcoma, or LMS, is a type of rare cancer that grows in the smooth muscles. The smooth muscles are in the hollow organs of the body, including the intestines, stomach, bladder, and blood vessels. In females, there is also smooth muscle in the uterus. These smooth muscle tissues help move blood, food, and other material through the body ...
What is leiomyosarcoma (LMS)?
Jan 10, 2020 · Soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) arises mainly from the embryonic mesoderm with some contribution from the neuroectoderm. STS is a rare malignancy that accounts for less than 1% of all adult cancers. It encompasses an extremely heterogeneous group of tumors with over 70 molecular subtypes. Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is one of the more common subtypes of STS, …
Where is leiomyosarcoma found?
Dec 02, 2020 · Leiomyosarcoma. Leiomyosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that begins in smooth muscle tissue. Smooth muscle tissue is found in many areas of the body, such as the digestive system, urinary system, blood vessels and uterus. Leiomyosarcoma most often begins in the abdomen or uterus. It starts as a growth of abnormal cells and often grows quickly ...
Who are some famous people who have had leiomyosarcoma?
In 2015, Yondelis was approved as a chemotherapy for liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma that cannot be removed by surgery or patients that previously underwent treatment that contained anthracycline. Yondelis is marketed by Janssen Products. Investigational Therapies

Is there a cure for leiomyosarcoma?
Yes. Leiomyosarcoma can be cured, especially when detected and treated early on.Nov 8, 2021
Does anyone survive leiomyosarcoma?
Localized: if the tumor was caught early and didn't have a chance to spread, there's a 63% survival rate. Regional: if the tumor was able to spread some, but not get farther than the region where it first originated, a patient has a 36% chance of surviving.
Does MD Anderson treat leiomyosarcoma?
Types of cancers we treat: All soft tissue sarcomas, including leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. All bone sarcomas, including osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, chondrosarcomas and chordoma.
Why do we get leiomyosarcoma?
Doctors don't know exactly what causes leiomyosarcoma. Radiation therapy for cancer you had in the past can raise your risk. We don't know if exposure to high doses of dioxin or certain weed killers can lead to it. This aggressive cancer often starts in the smooth muscle cells lining small blood vessels.Dec 3, 2021
Is sarcoma a death sentence?
Soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities are rare and challenging neoplasms, and every general surgeon is likely to face one at least once or twice in his or her career. Recurrence of extremity sarcoma is not a death sentence, and these patients should be treated aggressively.
How does leiomyosarcoma start?
Leiomyosarcoma most often begins in the abdomen or uterus. It starts as a growth of abnormal cells and often grows quickly to invade and destroy normal body tissue.Dec 2, 2020
Who is the best doctor for sarcoma?
Wittig, Orthopedic Oncologist and Sarcoma Surgeon, ranked as Top Doctor by US News and World Report.Aug 20, 2012
Can leiomyosarcoma go into remission?
Once your treatment is done, your oncologist may tell you that your leiomyosarcoma is in “remission.” This means that signs of your cancer have faded or disappeared. But that doesn't mean you're through with doctor's appointments. Follow-up care is very important.Dec 3, 2021
What is the best sarcoma Center in United States?
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Ariz., and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., have been recognized among the Best Hospitals for cancer by U.S. News & World Report.Dec 2, 2020
Is leiomyosarcoma fast growing?
Leiomyosarcoma is a rare but aggressive type of cancer. It can grow fast and may even double in size in as little as four weeks. The treatment needs to be initiated as soon as possible after its diagnosis. Even after the treatment, there are high chances that this type of cancer will recur.Apr 6, 2021
Does Chemo work for leiomyosarcoma?
Adriamycin (Doxorubicin) and ifosfamide are the chemotherapy drugs that are currently used to treat leiomyosarcoma. They work well for some people, but not everyone. Doctors think that the drugs gemcitabine and docetaxel (Taxotere) may be better.
How long can you live with leiomyosarcoma?
LeiomyosarcomaSEER Stage5-Year Relative Survival RateLocalized62%Regional34%Distant13%All SEER stages combined39%Mar 1, 2022
What is the best treatment for LMS?
Surgery: The best option for LMS treatment is surgery. If all of the tumor is removed, there is a good chance of LMS being cured. If some cancer cells are left behind, there is a greater chance of the cancer coming back in the same spot, or a different part of the body. Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy can be used around the time of surgery.
Where is LMS found?
LMS is an aggressive cancer, which means it can grow quickly. LMS is found most often in the abdomen or in the uterus.
What are the symptoms of LMS?
Pain. Unintentional weight loss. Nausea and vomiting. Lump under the skin. Imaging: If you have symptoms of LMS, your doctor will use imaging scans such as MRI, CT, angiography, and PET to look at where the tumor is and how big it is. They will also check for signs that the tumor has spread to other parts of the body.
How to tell if you have a tumor?
Symptoms depend on where the tumor is and how big it is. Some people with LMS do not have symptoms when the cancer first starts. Later, when the tumor gets larger, symptoms can include: 1 Pain 2 Unintentional weight loss 3 Nausea and vomiting 4 Lump under the skin
Where is leiomyosarcoma found?
Smooth muscle tissue is found in many areas of the body, such as the digestive system, urinary system, blood vessels and uterus.
How to diagnose leiomyosarcoma?
Tests and procedures used to diagnose leiomyosarcoma depend on where the cancer occurs, but may include: 1 Physical exam. Your doctor may examine you to gather more clues about what's causing any signs and symptoms you may be experiencing. 2 Imaging tests. Imaging tests might include MRI, CT and positron emission tomography (PET). 3 Removing a sample of tissue for testing (biopsy). A biopsy procedure involves removing a sample of suspicious tissue for testing. The sample is sent to a lab where it's analyzed to see if it's leiomyosarcoma.#N#How the biopsy sample is collected depends on where the suspicious tissue is located. The procedure requires careful planning so that the biopsy is done in a way that won't interfere with future surgery to remove the cancer. For this reason, ask your doctor for a referral to a team of experts with experience in treating leiomyosarcoma.
What is the best way to kill cancer cells?
Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses powerful energy beams, such as X-rays and protons, to kill cancer cells. During a radiation therapy session, you lie on a table while a machine moves around you and directs the energy beams into your body.
What is a biopsy sample?
A biopsy procedure involves removing a sample of suspicious tissue for testing. The sample is sent to a lab where it's analyzed to see if it's leiomyosarcoma. How the biopsy sample is collected depends on where the suspicious tissue is located.
Where does leiomyosarcoma originate?
Thus, a leiomyosarcoma can have a primary site of origin anywhere in the body from a blood vessel.
What is a leiomyosarcoma?
Specialty. Hematology and Oncology. Leiomyosarcoma is a malignant ( cancerous) smooth muscle tumor. A benign tumor originating from the same tissue is termed leiomyoma. While leiomyosarcomas are not thought to arise from leiomyomas, some leiomyoma variants' classification is evolving.
How many people get leiomyosarcoma each year?
About one in 100,000 people get diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma (LMS) each year. LMS is one of the more common types of soft-tissue sarcoma, representing 10 to 20% of new cases. (Leiomyosarcoma of the bone is more rare.) Sarcoma is rare, consisting of only 1% of cancer cases in adults. Leiomyosarcomas can be very unpredictable;
What is the best way to treat LMS?
Surgery, with as wide a margin of removal as possible, has generally been the most effective and preferred way to attack LMS. If surgical margins are narrow or not clear of tumor, however, or in some situations where tumor cells were left behind, chemotherapy or radiation has been shown to give a clear survival benefit.
Where are smooth muscle cells found?
Smooth muscle cells make up the involuntary muscles, which are found in most parts of the body, including the uterus, stomach and intestines, the walls of all blood vessels, and the skin, so leiomyosarcomas can appear at any site in the body. They are most commonly found in the uterus, stomach, small intestine and retroperitoneum.
Is sarcoma a cancer?
Sarcoma is rare, consisting of only 1% of cancer cases in adults. Leiomyosarcomas can be very unpredictable; they can remain dormant for long periods of time and recur after years. It is a resistant cancer, meaning generally not very responsive to chemotherapy or radiation.
What is a leiomyosarcoma?
Leiomyosarcoma is a malignant (cancerous) tumor that arises from smooth muscle Cells There are essentially two types of muscles in the body – voluntary and involuntary. Smooth muscles are involuntary muscles – the brain has no conscious control over them. Smooth muscles react involuntarily in response to various stimuli. For example, smooth muscle that lines the walls of the digestive tract causes wave-like contractions (peristalsis) that aid in the digestion and transport of food. Smooth muscles in the salivary glands cause the glands to squirt saliva into the mouth in response to taking a bite of food. Smooth muscle in the skin causes goose bumps to form in response to cold.
What is the function of smooth muscles?
Smooth muscles react involuntarily in response to various stimuli. For example, smooth muscle that lines the walls of the digestive tract causes wave-like contractions (peristalsis) that aid in the digestion and transport of food.
Can leiomyosarcoma cause nausea?
A leiomyosarcoma, especially in the early stages, may not be associated with any obvious symptoms (asymptomatic). General symptoms associated with cancer may occur including fatigue, fever, weight loss, a general feeling of ill health (malaise), and nausea and vomiting. Pain may occur in the affected area but is uncommon.
Is leiomyosarcoma male or female?
Leiomyosarcomas affect both male s and females. Leiomyosarcoma is a form of soft tissue sarcoma. According to the American Cancer Society, at least 15,000 new cases of soft tissue sarcoma occur each year in the U.S. Soft tissue sarcomas affect men and women equally and occur more often in adults than children or adolescents. Soft tissue sarcomas account for 1 percent of all adult cancers in the U.S. According to one estimate, leiomyosarcomas account for 7-11 percent of all cases of soft tissue sarcomas.
Where is the NIH clinical center?
For information about clinical trials being conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD, contact the NIH Patient Recruitment Office: Tollfree: (800) 411-1222. TTY: (866) 411-1010.
What is cancer characterized by?
The term “cancer” refers to a group of diseases characterized by abnormal, uncontrolled cellular growth that invades surrounding tissues and may spread (metastasize) to distant body sites via the bloodstream, the lymphatic system, or other means.
Is leiomyosarcoma a soft tissue tumor?
Leiomyosarcoma is classified as a soft tissue sar coma. Sarcomas are malignant tumors that arise from the connective tissue, which connects, supports and surrounds various structures and organs in the body. Soft tissue includes fat, muscle, nerves, tendons, and blood and lymph vessels. The exact cause of leiomyosarcoma, ...
How long does uterine leiomyosarcoma last?
Only about 10 percent of patients respond, and even then, progression-free survival typically lasts a few months at the most.
What is the rarest form of cancer?
A rare, aggressive form of cancer called uterine leiomyosarcoma, which affects roughly 2,500 women every year in the U.S., is often discovered entirely by accident. The malignant smooth muscle tumor arises in the uterus and is frequently detected during a routine gynecological surgery. Most patients show no symptoms before diagnosis, but if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the prognosis is extremely poor.
What is olaparib used for?
The trial aimed to test a novel therapy for uterine leiomyosarcoma called olaparib, a PARP inhibitor originally developed for individuals with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. “Uterine leiomyosarcoma is a deadly disease.
How long does olaparib last?
Six patients (27%) had a durable response that lasted an average of 12 months. Side effects of the therapy, which mostly included low blood counts, were tolerable without any serious complications.
How does olaparib work?
Olaparib works by blocking a family of proteins known as PARP that help repair damaged DNA. Harmful mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes lead to faulty DNA repair, and further inhibiting this process with olaparib can cause cancer cells that carry a BRCA mutation to die.

Overview
Notable cases
People who have had leiomyosarcoma include:
• Leicester City footballer Keith Weller, who made over 300 appearances for the Foxes, scored 47 goals. Also, he made four appearances for England, scoring one goal.
• Katie Price
• Canadian public-health physician Sheela Basrur (1956–2008) developed uterine leiomyosarcoma in 2006.
Mechanism
Smooth muscle cells make up the involuntary muscles, which are found in most parts of the body, including the uterus, stomach and intestines, the walls of all blood vessels, and the skin, so leiomyosarcomas can appear at any site in the body. They are most commonly found in the uterus, stomach, small intestine and retroperitoneum.
Uterine leiomyosarcomas come from the smooth muscle in the muscle layer of the uterus. Cuta…
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of LMS is made by performing a soft-tissue biopsy and examining its histopathology.
Treatment
Surgery, with as wide a margin of removal as possible, has generally been the most effective and preferred way to attack LMS. If surgical margins are narrow or not clear of tumor, however, or in some situations where tumor cells were left behind, chemotherapy or radiation has been shown to give a clear survival benefit. While LMS tends to be resistant to radiation and chemotherapy, each case is different and results can vary widely.
See also
• Uterine sarcoma
External links
• Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors at eMedicine