Could this be a sarcoma?

same thing
I am in the same boat...my pea sized lumps (2 of them) are locatd on the front of my leg at the top and can only feel them when i rub into my leg... I am freaking out. What did you dr say?

suzie sunshine said:

lumps on legs
The majority of these lumps are harmless, but I suggest that you be diligent in having them checked out. I discovered my lump when it was pea-sized, and it grew for nine months, while the doctor kept telling me that it was a benign lipoma. The surgeon finally removed it, and I had to have a second operation when it was diagnosed as myxofibrosarcoma. I've just finished with 32 radiation treatments.

I noticed the 1st lump
I noticed the 1st lump sometime ago. Maybe even a year or more..it has not really seemed to changed in size but just the other day i noticed a new one so that is what is freaking me out..well I have a dermatologist appt today for my annual skin check so I will see what she thinks..I hate having these things on my mind as I also suffer from anxiety. How are you doing after your radiation treatments? I hope all works out for the best and you recover 100%.

suzie sunshine said:

1st lump
My lump grew from pea sized to walnut size within 9 months. I think you will be OK, but I know it's normal to be concerned and worry. I still have redness and my leg is sore, but I'm not complaining. For the rest of my life, it will be watch and wait, but I tend to be an optimistic person. Good luck with your appointment today.

so they biopsied one of the
so they biopsied one of the lumps and she said when she squeezed the location a piece of fat popped out but doesn't really mean anything sooooooooooooooo now the worry game begins for 7-10 days.. I just have awful luck sooo its hard to stay positive..when things go well for me something always puts a road block up..I will keep you in my thoughts.

Scared in the South said:

Went for an MRI today, and
Went for an MRI today, and got the read back late this afternoon. "Lipomatous neoplastic process." According to one of the docs I know, they have to take out the mass before they know if it's cancerous of not. More dr appts to follow. It's still pretty small (<5cm), so I'm glad I found it early (and pushed to have it imaged).</p>

keep us posted...biopsied
keep us posted...biopsied mine right at the dermatologist office, should I have gotten the MRI 1st to see how deep?

Scared in the South said:

Went for an MRI today, and
Went for an MRI today, and got the read back late this afternoon. "Lipomatous neoplastic process." According to one of the docs I know, they have to take out the mass before they know if it's cancerous of not. More dr appts to follow. It's still pretty small (<5cm), so I'm glad I found it early (and pushed to have it imaged).</p>

Questions regarding diagnosing mass
Isn't it strange that the growth is surgically removed before it is diagnosed? Then, if it is cancerous, a second operation is performed to get clean margins. Wouldn't you think that a diagnostic removal of the mass could activate, and possibly allow some microscopic cancer cells to travel in the blood stream? Seems to me that there should be a better method for diagnosing sarcomas.

ginabown said:

Diagnoses should be first!
I was 28 when I went in to a get a lump checked behind my knee. The doctor sent me home saying it was a Baker's Cyst, to just leave it. I went back a year later and he again insisted it was a Baker's Cyst and said to leave it. I insisted they take it out. He never mentioned getting a biopsy first since he was so sure it was a Baker's Cyst. Well when the results from checking the mass came back, it was Synovial Cell Sarcoma. Then he acted like it was no big deal and said since they didn't know what they were operating on at the time, I would have to have the maximum amount of radiation because they didn't cut clear enough margins around the tumor!! Radiation is what permanently damaged by leg, it still swells to this day. My oncologist in Iowa City said if they would have cut clear enough margins around the tumor, I wouldn't have had to have any treatment. Insist on getting any lump checked out first before removing it!!

diagnosis first
We have heard of too many cases where lumps were thought harmless until too late, or surgery was performed without diagnosis first (in my husband's case). Now, 11 years later, we have formed the opinion that a biopsy should happen first, then treatment based on biopsy. This is why a sarcoma center is so important when sarcoma is diagnosed. Too many doctors do not know what to do with sarcomas. I would much rather see a doc who treats 30 sarcoma patients a day than 5 sarcoma patients a year.
However, here on the cancer board of course you will see predominantly the folks whose lumps were not harmless, so our views are skewed by our experience. It is just that no one wants to be in the minority in this case, where it is NOT just a harmless lipoma. I say err on the side of caution and get a biopsy whenever there is a suspect mass.
And some cancer types respond better to surgery, chemo, radiation. This is why a biopsy is important. How do you know chemo is working if the lump has been removed? And there is no point in getting radiation if the type of cancer/stage is not affected by radiation.
Good luck to everyone here.