The Miguel Servet University Hospitals and Clínico Lozano Blesa in Zaragoza have prepared a complete program of activities for next week on the occasion of National Sarcoma Day, a type of rare tumor that accounts for around 1% of malignant cancers in the adult population.
In children and adolescents, however, its presence is higher, as it represents between 13% and 15% of oncology diagnoses in these ages and is the third most common tumor in this population group.
In Spain, around 2,600 new cases of sarcoma are detected each year, responsible for 2% of cancer deaths. Its rarity means that it remains a little-known disease, although in those who suffer from it, it has a notable impact on quality of life and, in certain cases, it involves tumors with rapid evolution or a high risk of relapse.
This uncommon cancer develops in bones or soft tissues. Precisely because of its low frequency, the process to reach an accurate diagnosis can take months. Hence the importance of spreading awareness about what sarcoma is and promoting its early recognition, so that patients can be referred as soon as possible to specialized centers, where they are attended by multidisciplinary teams with experience.
The two major hospitals in Aragon have wanted to join the awareness and visibility campaigns about sarcoma and other rare tumors that are being held these days throughout the country, with the participation of public administrations, scientific societies, and patient associations.
In Zaragoza, coinciding with World Sarcoma Day, which is commemorated this Sunday, September 20, the Palacio de La Aljafería will be illuminated in yellow, a color that has been internationally adopted as a symbol of the fight against this group of tumors.
The involvement of this emblematic building, home to the Cortes de Aragón, reinforces institutional support for raising awareness about these pathologies and helps bring the situation that patients and their loved ones experience closer to the public, while simultaneously conveying a message of support, solidarity, and hope.
The City Council will also dye several fountains in the city yellow on Wednesday, September 23, between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM.
Informative tables and awareness actions
The Sarcoma and Other Rare Tumors Patients Association (APSATUR) will carry out various informational actions by setting up tables on September 21, 22, and 23 in the morning in the lobby of the Miguel Servet University Hospital in Zaragoza. The Association Against Cancer (AECC) will also collaborate in these activities.
On the table of Monday, September 21, specialists from the Hospital with extensive experience in the approach to sarcoma will join, sharing space with the representatives of the association to provide information and resolve doubts for both affected individuals and the general population.
APSATUR will also set up another informational table tomorrow in the Parque Grande of Zaragoza, specifically at the Cantautores Bridge, where the activity will take place during the morning.
The objective of all these proposals is to give greater visibility to these tumors, increase social knowledge about their impact, emphasize the relevance of early diagnosis, and disseminate the advances made in recent years in their management and treatment.
With this same aim, the scientific day scheduled for Thursday, September 24, organized by the Multidisciplinary Sarcoma Committee of the Clinical Hospital of Zaragoza under the title "Diagnosis and Treatment of Mesenchymal Tumors-Sarcomas-", will be held in the auditorium of the center.
Scientific Day and Multidisciplinary Approach
More than 150 different types of sarcomas have been described, grouped into two large blocks: those that originate in the bone and those that appear in soft tissues, that is, in the structures that connect, support, or surround organs and parts of the body, such as muscles, adipose tissue, tendons, nerves, or blood vessels.
The I Multidisciplinary Day "Diagnosis and Treatment of Mesenchymal Tumors --Sarcomas--" has been structured into several round tables. One will be dedicated to bone sarcomas, another will delve into soft tissue tumors, and a third will analyze the most common tumor of soft tissues, that of the gastrointestinal stroma --mucosa that protects the digestive system--.
The program is completed with two additional tables: one focused on the contribution of Nursing to the treatment of these patients, highlighting their role as case managers to optimize care and place the person with sarcoma at the center of the care process.
The fifth and last table will offer the patients' perspective through APSATUR and the Spanish Association Against Cancer. The meeting will feature specialists from the Miguel Servet University Hospitals and Clínico Lozano Blesa Hospital in Zaragoza, as well as from national and international reference centers, including Clínico San Carlos, 12 de Octubre, and Gregorio Marañón hospitals in Madrid; Vall d'Hebron and Sant Pau in Barcelona; the University Hospital Complex of Santiago de Compostela and the Portuguese Institute of Oncology (IPO) in Lisbon.