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  3. Overview of all treatment options
  4. Perfusions for sarcomas

Perfusions for sarcomas

Some sarcomas on the arms or legs cannot be surgically removed without causing functional impairments, or even amputation. If this is the case, we will use isolated limb perfusions to treat the sarcoma (like merkel cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma). 

Isolated limb perfusion is a treatment in which the blood circulation of an arm or a leg is isolated during chemotherapy. By closing off circulation, the medicine cannot spread through the body, which allows for a higher dose. 

The surgery aims to shrink or destroy the tumor and/or metastases. If your tumor has decreased in size, we can reassess whether surgical removal is possible - or necessary - without harming the arm or leg several months after your treatment. Most patients receiving the treatment do see a decrease in tumor size allowing for surgical removal, although your chances depend on the tumor type and several other factors.

A perfusion - what to expect?

You will be under general anesthesia during the procedure. Blood flow to the tumor is halted so the blood cannot circulate through the body. Your arm or leg will be heated, which will improve the efficacy of the medicine. During the rinse we will keep a close eye on the blood flowing through the rest of your body to ensure that the chemotherapy does not reach parts of your body that are not receiving treatment. Once the rinse is complete, the body part receiving treatment will be rinsed with a clean substance. The extremity will be attached to a heart-lung machine, but can receive oxygen the regular way once the treatment is completed. 

Side-effects and complications

Your skin may be itchy and red after treatment. Some people experience blisters. Most people will notice some edema (swelling in the arm or leg). Please be gentle with the extremity when drying your skin with a towel. Your skin may be sensitive or blister. Oil can help the skin heal.

After your treatment

Your surgeon will set up a follow-up consultation after your hospital stay, usually around 6 weeks after the treatment. This follow-up appointment allows us to assess the healing process of your surgical scar and can give you the opportunity to discuss how you are doing. As it may take several months before you feel the effects of the rinse on the tumor, we will invite you back to the hospital after 3 months to scan the tumor. If it turns out that your tumor has gotten smaller, we can see whether surgical removal of the tumor is an option (sometimes in combination with radiation therapy).

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