Becky's joyous smile is an outward sign of the strong, self-assured woman she became during the fight with sarcoma that began when she was only 17. Read Becky's Story

The Sarcoma Service is the 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 parent organization.

For people with sarcoma--rare cancers of the bone or connective tissues-our multidisciplinary approach offers world-class diagnosis and treatment, and the best hope for a cure.

SCCA is a partnership between three leading cancer centers: the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine, and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center. Together, we offer our sarcoma patients the best of the Pacific Northwest's world-class cancer research and patient-care practices.

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, including bone transplants and metallic implants.

• A multidisciplinary 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.

• A close relationship with 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 trials, 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.

January 2004