Demonstrated expertise:
Cleveland Clinic is a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, as well as a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. We’re committed to providing the highest quality care. Meet our team.
Locations:
Does your belly feel heavy? Do you have back pain? Are you feeling short of breath?
It’s important to listen to your body. It could be an infection. It could be an injury. Or maybe something more serious. Cancer like retroperitoneal sarcoma can cause symptoms like this. This rare, soft tissue sarcoma grows in the fat cells and muscles at the back of your abdomen (retroperitoneum). These tumors can affect many different organs. So, you’ll want healthcare providers who know what it takes to treat this cancer and help you move forward.
Rare sarcomas aren’t uncommon at Cleveland Clinic. We specialize in diagnosing and treating cancers like this. So, when you come here for care, you’ll have a team of providers from different specialties on your side. They’ve crafted many different personalized treatment plans for retroperitoneal sarcomas. And they’ll do the same for you.
Cleveland Clinic is a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, as well as a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. We’re committed to providing the highest quality care. Meet our team.
As a national referral center for rare sarcomas, many people travel to receive treatment at Cleveland Clinic. We make every effort to streamline your care and minimize appointments to make things as easy as possible, whether you’re here or at home.
Not all appointments need to be in person. Virtual visits let you meet one-on-one online with your providers. You can talk about your progress and concerns with them from the comfort of your home.
Cleveland Clinic is a trusted healthcare leader. We’re recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for our expertise and care.
Retroperitoneal sarcomas, malignant soft tissue tumors, grow in the peritoneum at the back of your abdomen and pelvis. They can affect many nearby organs and tissues in this area – like your intestines, pancreas, major blood vessels, kidneys and bladder, to name just a few.
These tumors usually don’t cause symptoms at first. When symptoms like abdominal pain or swelling, fullness, loss of appetite or bloody poop (stools) show up, you may already have a large tumor. There are different types of retroperitoneal sarcomas, including:
Sometimes, retroperitoneal sarcomas are mistaken for other kinds of cancer and benign (noncancerous) growths because they have similar symptoms. That’s why it’s important to have healthcare providers who are familiar with diagnosing this type of cancer.
Chances are, you might be feeling a little nervous when you first meet with your provider. It’s understandable. You’ve been facing a lot of unknowns. That’s why your appointment won’t start off with a physical exam (although we will do one during the visit).
There’s more to making a diagnosis than that. Listening plays a big part, too. You have a story to tell, and we want to hear it. So, when you come in, we’ll want to hear all about what’s going on. We’ll want to know:
After your physical exam, your provider will probably order tests to help confirm a diagnosis. These tests also tell us what cancer stage you have by looking at where the tumor is, how big it is, if it’s spread to other areas of your body and what its cells look like.
During the diagnostic process, you may have:
Retroperitoneal cancer is rare. And its symptoms can mimic other conditions. So, if you’ve been told you have any kind of abdominal mass or received a sarcoma diagnosis, it’s worth having someone take another look. In fact, at Cleveland Clinic, we encourage second opinions.
Our expert cancer specialists will take the time to help you better understand what’s going on and explain what your treatment options are. We also know that cancer doesn’t wait, so we always try to get your appointment with us scheduled as soon as possible. A second opinion can give you peace of mind knowing that you’re in the most capable and compassionate hands.
When you have retroperitoneal sarcoma, it can affect different things in your body. So, often, not just one provider can cover all your treatment needs. At Cleveland Clinic, you’ll benefit from our team-based approach to care. This means you’ll have a care team of providers from different specialties planning and managing your treatment, recovery and follow-up. All of them are selected based on your unique diagnosis and needs. You may see:
We work as one team — providing expert care at convenient locations throughout Northeast Ohio and Florida.
Your care team will work together (and with you) to create a highly personalized care plan. They’ll consider many different things — the type of tumor, where it’s located and its stage. They’ll also consider your recovery goals and needs.
Surgery is the main treatment for retroperitoneal sarcoma. For small tumors that haven’t spread, we’ll try to remove the whole tumor. For larger ones, we may also need to remove nearby tissues that could be affected. Your providers will go over the options with you.
We may recommend chemotherapy or radiation therapy before surgery to shrink the tumor, making it safer and easier to remove. You might also receive these therapies after surgery. Both of these treatments, along with targeted therapy or immunotherapy, can destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Retroperitoneal sarcoma often returns after treatment, usually within a few years. We do regular imaging tests and follow-up exams to keep an eye on your progress. This lets us catch cancer that comes back as early as possible.
Hearing you may have a rare cancer like retroperitoneal sarcoma can make you feel like you’ve stepped outside your life and into a different world. But at Cleveland Clinic, our expert providers are on your side, guiding you through every step of your journey. From the first time you reach out through your follow-up visits, we’re here for you — providing exceptional care and helping you to feel informed, supported and prepared to move forward.
Scheduling a visit with Cleveland Clinic’s retroperitoneal sarcoma experts is easy. We’re here to help you get the care you need.
Manage your Cleveland Clinic account. Find billing information and financial assistance, plus FAQs.
Securely access your personal health information at any time, day or night.
Health LibraryFind answers to your health questions from experts you can trust. It's like having a friend who's a doctor.