Vicente explains that around 200 new cases are diagnosed in Aragon each year. Sarcoma is an uncommon tumor that accounts for approximately 1% of malignant cancers in adults, although its share is higher among children and adolescents, where it represents between 13% and 15% of cancer diagnoses. To raise awareness of the disease and promote early diagnosis, the association is taking part in an information stand, together with the Spanish Association Against Cancer, located in the lobby of Miguel Servet Hospital in Zaragoza.
In his case, Aurelio Vicente explains that he had two sarcomas. The first was a one-and-a-half-kilogram tumor located in the walls of the rectum, which caused him “difficulty” urinating. The second was in his pelvis and caused “muscle pain.”
Vicente warns that, in some cases, the first symptoms can be mistaken for an injury or ordinary pain, which may delay diagnosis. For this reason, he believes it is important for primary care professionals to pay special attention to discomfort that persists over time and, without causing alarm, consider carrying out simple tests such as an X-ray when the pain continues.
Although the Apsatur vice president was discharged last October, he acknowledges that it is a long and complex disease because “relapses, infections or amputations” are common. In some cases, the tumor cannot be completely removed in an initial operation, and an amputation may subsequently be necessary. “In my case, they removed part of my pelvis, put in a titanium rod, it became infected and they had to operate on me again,” he says. That is why he insists that it is not simply a matter of “having surgery, receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy and going home,” but rather treatments that can last a very long time because of the disease’s inherent complexity.
A SARCOMA DETECTED DURING A CHECKUP
The case of Isabel Zubizarreta, an Apsatur patient and board member, was very different. Her gastrointestinal sarcoma was discovered by chance eight years ago during a gynecological checkup, when doctors detected a lump. From there, she went through various specialists before finally undergoing surgery. “They operated on me and removed the tumor, but some active tissue remained,” she explains.
After the operation, she began treatment with her oncologist, and the disease has remained under control ever since. She has now been without treatment for four months, although she continues to undergo regular checkups because of the risk of recurrence.
