Print LeiomyosarcomaLeiomyosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that begins in smooth muscle tissue. Smooth muscle tissue is found in many areas of the body, such as the digestive system, urinary system, blood vessels and uterus. Leiomyosarcoma most often begins in the abdomen or uterus. It starts as a growth of abnormal cells and often grows quickly to invade and destroy normal body tissue. Signs and symptoms of leiomyosarcoma depend on where the cancer starts. They might include pain, weight loss, and a growing lump or swelling that can be felt through the skin. Leiomyosarcoma is a type of soft tissue sarcoma, which is a broad category of cancers that begin in the tissues that connect, support and surround other body structures. Request an appointment There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Get Mayo Clinic cancer expertise delivered to your inbox. Subscribe for free and receive an in-depth guide to coping with cancer, plus helpful information on how to get a second opinion. You can unsubscribe at any time. Click here for an email preview. Email address I would like to learn more about Up-to-date cancer news & research Mayo Clinic cancer care & management options ErrorSelect a topic ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Address 1 Subscribe Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth coping with cancer guide will be in your inbox shortly. You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest about cancer news, research, and care. If you don’t receive our email within 5 minutes, check your SPAM folder, then contact us at newsletters@mayoclinic.com. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry DiagnosisTests and procedures used to diagnose leiomyosarcoma depend on where the cancer occurs, but may include: Physical exam. Your doctor may examine you to gather more clues about what's causing any signs and symptoms you may be experiencing. Imaging tests. Imaging tests might include MRI, CT and positron emission tomography (PET). Removing a sample of tissue for testing (biopsy). A biopsy procedure involves removing a sample of suspicious tissue for testing. The sample is sent to a lab where it's analyzed to see if it's leiomyosarcoma. How the biopsy sample is collected depends on where the suspicious tissue is located. The procedure requires careful planning so that the biopsy is done 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 experience in treating leiomyosarcoma. TreatmentWhich treatments are likely to be most effective for you depend on the location and size of your leiomyosarcoma, as well as whether it has spread to other areas of your body. Your doctor also considers your overall health and your preferences when creating a treatment plan. In general, treatments for leiomyosarcoma may include: Surgery. The goal of surgery is to remove all of the leiomyosarcoma. But that might not be possible if the cancer has grown very large or has grown to involve other nearby organs. Instead, your surgeon may remove as much of the cancer as possible. Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses powerful energy beams, such as X-rays and protons, to kill cancer cells. During a radiation therapy session, you lie on a table while a machine moves around you and directs the energy beams into your body. Radiation therapy might be recommended after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might remain. Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill cancer cells. It might be recommended if the leiomyosarcoma can't be removed completely with surgery or if the cancer spreads to other areas of the body. Targeted drug therapy. Targeted drug treatments focus on specific abnormalities present within cancer cells. By blocking these abnormalities, targeted drug treatments can cause cancer cells to die. Targeted drug therapy might be an option for advanced leiomyosarcoma. Your doctor may test your cancer cells to determine whether targeted drugs might be helpful for you. By Mayo Clinic Staff Request an appointment Dec. 04, 2024 Print Living with soft tissue sarcoma? Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Sarcoma support group on Mayo Clinic Connect, a patient community. Sarcoma Discussions Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma 83 Replies Sat, Dec 21, 2024 chevron-right Diagnosed with sarcoma? Let's share 862 Replies Sat, Dec 21, 2024 chevron-right Leiomyosarcoma: What can I expect now? 63 Replies Thu, Dec 12, 2024 chevron-right See more discussions Show references Leiomyosarcoma. National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/pediatric-adult-rare-tumor/rare-tumors/rare-soft-tissue-tumors/leiomyosarcoma. Accessed March 17, 2021. Goldblum JR, et al. Leiomyosarcoma. In: Enzinger and Weiss's Soft Tissue Tumors. 7th ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 17, 2021. Soft tissue sarcoma. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/default.aspx. Accessed March 17, 2021. Related Soft tissue sarcoma Associated Procedures Chemotherapy CT scan MRI Needle biopsy Positron emission tomography scan Radiation therapy Ultrasound X-ray Show more associated procedures News from Mayo Clinic Fluorescent green dye helps surgeons reduce complications after surgery for people with soft tissue sarcoma Dec. 24, 2023, 12:00 p.m. CDT Products & Services A Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition Show more products and services from Mayo Clinic Soft tissue sarcomaSymptoms&causesDiagnosis&treatmentDoctors&departmentsCare atMayoClinic Advertisement Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. 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There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Get Mayo Clinic cancer expertise delivered to your inbox. Subscribe for free and receive an in-depth guide to coping with cancer, plus helpful information on how to get a second opinion. You can unsubscribe at any time. Click here for an email preview. Email address I would like to learn more about Up-to-date cancer news & research Mayo Clinic cancer care & management options ErrorSelect a topic ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Address 1 Subscribe Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth coping with cancer guide will be in your inbox shortly. You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest about cancer news, research, and care. If you don’t receive our email within 5 minutes, check your SPAM folder, then contact us at newsletters@mayoclinic.com. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry