The Basics of Retroperitoneal Sarcoma

When patients receive a diagnosis of retroperitoneal sarcoma, they deal not only with the shock of learning they have cancer, but also with the fact that the disease is extremely rare. Surgical oncologist Dr. Margo Shoup is an expert in performing the complex surgery needed to remove these often very large tumors.

This week on the CURE® Talks Cancer podcast, Dr. Shoup sheds some light on the disease and what patients need to know about its diagnosis and treatment.

“I think the most important thing for people to understand is that it’s very frequently diagnosed already at a late stage because most people don’t realize they have it,” Shoup explained. “But that shouldn’t keep somebody from seeking attention. If you’re being told by anybody that this is something that cannot be taken care of from a surgical standpoint for whatever reason, you really need to get in to see someone who specializes in this… because your first operation is your best bet for a cure, so you want to make sure it’s done right.”