Synovial sarcoma

Diagnosis

It may take many years for a synovial sarcoma to develop and be diagnosed.

These imaging tests may assist in its diagnosis:

• Plain X-ray. A big part of the tumor in some cases are marked or even enclosed by calcifications. On the other hand, synovial sarcoma mostly don’t show on X-rays.
• Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan. May help to know the extent of the tumor.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). May show if the tumor has damaged nearby tissues which may include nerves and blood vessels.

The tumor may be studied by taking a small portion of it and send it to the lab. An expert pathologist should be the one to examine the tumor sample because it may be incorrectly diagnosed as another kind of sarcoma.

Treatment

Synovial sarcoma is primarily treated by doing surgery to remove the cancer which may include a part of the surrounding healthy tissues. In other words, the whole muscle or group of muscles may be removed or sometimes, even amputate the affected part. Radiation or chemotherapy may also be recommended by the doctor to prevent the recurrence of cancer on top of surgery.