Newly Diagnosed?

If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed with sarcoma, you're probably thinking hard about what to do next. Educating yourself about cancer and understanding the various treatment options that are explained on these pages is a good start. However, your most important decision is selecting where to get your cancer treated.  

Studies have shown that the first treatment you receive for cancer is by far the most important. That's why your first choice in a treatment center needs to be the right one. Patients who begin their treatment at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) often have better outcomes than those who started treatment elsewhere. Not only can you expect the best standard of care available, patients at SCCA have access to advanced therapies and treatments being explored in several ongoing clinical trials for sarcoma conducted at SCCA's founding organizations, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine and Seattle Children's.

The Sarcoma Service is Seattle Cancer Care Alliance's oldest multidisciplinary oncology program. It began in 1986 with the arrival of Dr. Ernest U. Conrad III to head the service, which was then based at UW Medical Center, an SCCA founding organization.

We see about 500 adults and 200 children a year who are newly diagnosed with sarcomas of various types. The majority of our patients come from outside the Western Washington region, and many travel long distances to receive care here.

If you or someone you love has sarcoma, this is what you can expect from the Sarcoma Service at SCCA:

• State-of-the-art care by a team of sarcoma specialists--doctors who focus exclusively on treating this rare and hard-to-diagnose class of cancers.
• Leading-edge therapies and treatments, including innovative chemotherapy and limb-sparing surgery, bone transplants and metallic implants.
• A team of doctors all in one place. The team gathers for the weekly Sarcoma Clinic, and you will meet with your surgeon and your medical oncologist at the same visit. They will talk to each other--and to you--to help you make decisions about your treatment.
• Unique, innovative programs such as the Sarcoma PET Imaging Program, the top cancer imaging program in the country, and Sarcobase, one of the first sarcoma patient registries in North America and the first at a cancer center.
• Overlapping pediatric and adult programs, to provide continuity of care to young patients who can continue to see the same doctors as they grow to adulthood.
• The Northwest Tissue Center, one of the largest accredited tissue banks in North America and a safe, reliable source of bone for transplants.
• Access to new treatments and procedures through clinical research studies, some based on pioneering research by the same doctors who will be treating you.
• Great support for you and your family while you are going through treatment. Support includes a social worker just for sarcoma patients, as well as support groups, patient education, even a special school for young patients and their siblings.

Patient Power Interviews

Listen to the latest news and issues about sarcoma presented by SCCA expert physicians on the Patient Power Radio Show.

A Team Approach for Treating Sarcoma in Children and Adults - August 12, 2009
Recognized around the world as a pioneer in the treatment of sarcoma, Dr. Earnest “Chappie” Conrad joins Andrew Schorr for a look at what both young and adults patients can expect in the future of treating sarcoma, surgically and non-surgically.

  Soft Tissue Sarcoma in Adults - July 30, 2008
Soft tissue sarcomas are malignant tumors that form in almost any part of the body, developing from fat, blood vessels, nerve, and deep skin tissues. These uncommon tumors can vary from patient to patient. One of the nation's leading sarcoma experts, Dr. Chappie Conrad, joins this special webcast to answer questions about the latest in soft tissue sarcomas in adults.