Diagnosis

Diagnosis for undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma usually starts with a review of your symptoms and a physical examination. This cancer is often diagnosed after other types of cancer have been ruled out.

Tests and procedures may include:

• Physical exam. Your doctor will ask you questions about when your symptoms began and if they've changed over time. He or she will examine the area to better understand the size and depth of the growth, whether it's connected to nearby tissues, and whether there are any signs of swelling or nerve damage.
• Imaging tests. Your doctor may recommend imaging tests to create pictures of the affected area and understand more about your condition. Imaging tests may include X-rays, CT, MRI and positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

• Removing a sample of tissue for testing (biopsy). To make a definitive diagnosis, your doctor collects a sample of the tumor tissue and sends it to a lab for testing. Depending on your particular situation, the tissue sample may be collected with a needle inserted through your skin or during an operation.

  In the lab, doctors trained in analyzing body tissues (pathologists) examine the sample to determine the types of cells involved and whether the cells are likely to be aggressive. This information helps rule out other types of cancer and guides your treatment.

Determining the type of biopsy needed and the specifics of how it should be performed requires careful planning by the medical team. Doctors need to perform the biopsy in a way that won't interfere with future surgery to remove the cancer. For this reason, ask your doctor for a referral to a team of experts with extensive experience in treating soft tissue sarcomas before the biopsy.