What is a Spindle Cell Sarcoma?

First I want to say how each of these stories touched me and I am praying for each of you. We are about to lose our third dog to cancer in a very short time - despite feeding on high quality food. He has spindle cell carcinoma and it is not operable. I immediately put him on cucumin, high protein diet, hemp, mushroom (a particular type for cancer), and Chinese herbs and I am telling you I am seeing a miracle. He is not going to be cured but he is running around again and he was barely able to walk a few weeks ago. I am serious about this - I am a well educated person. I know this method is available to humans via homeopathic doctors. Please, anyone reading this, use this option - it will not hurt and I am confident it will help quality of life and slow things down a bit. Blessings to all of you.

I had a spindle tumor and cancer removed last year. Fortunately I'm doing great. Trying to find the causes of spindle cell tumors. I was exposed to a lot of industrial chemical vapor for 40 years. I am trying to find other people's experiences of what they think might have caused their spindle cell tumors.

I was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma in my breast, stage 3, in June. I had a lumpectomy and lymph node removal. Since then I've finished 33 rounds of radiation. The blisters are healing and my energy level is coming up. There is always hope; never give up! Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I'll pray for you all.

My father was diagnosed after have two green light laser surgeries and a prostatectomy. He underwent cyberknife radiation therapy summer of 2011, was fine for two years and in April 2013 the sarcoma started to grow and invaded his rectum. He then had to have a colostomy and the tumor continued to grow and he passed away in July.

My niece had a lump on her leg and they surgically removed it. Four weeks and four days later they (the doctors) notified them that it was malignant so they sent her to a children's hospital.

A week after they called, the children's hospital finally set her up with an appointment. She goes for her first chemo treatment next week. Please keep her in your prayers.

My mother was diagnosed with this cancer of the breast. She had three rounds of tac chemo --the strongest. It did nothing but make her ill. She had a mastectomy and the cancer returned through her incision. She had another operation --a total of three. Each time they said they got it all.

After the last operation, she had radiation treatments twice a day for a total of 47 treatments. The doctors never told us that radiated skin doesn't heal. She now has a huge open wound. The cancer is spreading so fast there's nothing else to do but to make her comfortable. It makes me so upset to see her like this.

My mother has been diagnosed with spindle cell cancer in her breast. I don't see any posts here by anyone who has known anyone with it located there. She is having a mastectomy on Monday.

I just found out my brother, who is 14, has sarcoma cancer. My only hope is he gets better soon and that all you that have it or know some one who does get better too.

God bless all people who must confront the pain, fear, and debilitation associated with this aggressive form of cancer.

My sister (she was 39) is no longer suffering as she passed from this world in 2009. As family members who watch helplessly, I can only encourage you to be present for your loved one. I pray for the day when this cancer will respond as well as the forms we seem better able to control.

I was just diagnosed. I'm a single mother of a four year old and I have no family. I'm terrified.

I was diagnosed with Spindle Cell Sarcoma in the floor of the mouth and a radical surgery was performed to remove a) floor of mouth b) a part of tongue and c) a part of my jaw bone on the left side of my face. An open flop surgery was performed to replace these with my Fibula, connective tissue and skin.

Now I'm having radiation therapy is on and they are suggesting some chemotherapy to enhance the effects of radiation therapy. All the reports say the cancer is totally removed. Hope for the best.

My adult children's father passed away early this morning. Ten weeks after diagnosis, he was gone. The doctors and research hospitals don't know enough. God bless him and my children.

My ex husband's spindle cell sarcoma spread from a jaw tumor, to the lymph nodes, liver, stomach, kidneys, lungs and was diagnosed two months ago. He's in hospice with two days or so to live. This disease is aggressive and does not have much life expectancy. I feel bad for my children. God bless him and all of you out there. Remember to live each day to its fullest.

A friend of mine was struck down with this nasty cancer as well. Upon learning the difficulty with fighting this cancer she chose to give up and let it take her. It's sad to sit by and see this happen to your loved ones!

I read an article in a local paper about the effectiveness of using lemon to fight all forms of cancer. This has been studied since 1972, although off the top of my head, without looking at the piece, I cannot recall the place. It is factual. Researchers know that lemon is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy. It destroys all types of cancer cells while leaving normal cells alone. They are hanging on to this information because the drug companies are first trying to find a pill to replicate the effectiveness of this common fruit. I will post again when I get the information to corroborate this information.

My children's father was diagnosed with spindle cell carcinoma. He had it in the left jawbone, nodes, skull, muscles, cheek and it was removed.

He has a trach and must have chemo. He had his tonsils, adenoids and a jaw tumor removed within the last 10 months, but this spindle cell tumor grew back in less than six months, and is worse.

My adult daughters are devastated. I pray for them and for him every day. Please tell me about prognosis and survival. It appears as though survival is not long.

My daughter Julie (30 years old) has just been diagnosed with high grade spindle cell retroperitoneal sarcoma attached to smooth muscle.

We will be consulting with an oncologist tomorrow morning and expect to be hearing the results from the surgeon's board meeting later in the evening.

The CT scans show a very large tumor (~12cm diameter) but, thankfully, the surgeon is confident that she can remove all of it.

I lost my only sister to this disease six months after diagnosis. She too, was 24.

Last spring, about a year after having a large sarcoma removed from her hip, my mom was diagnosed with stage IV spindle cell sarcoma on her lungs. She completed 12 rounds of chemotherapy which seemed to slow down, but not shrink, the tumors.

She was able to enjoy the holidays without treatment, but found out today that they are growing again and she will need to resume some method of chemo.

My heart goes out to those of you on here who have lost someone to this cancer. I know it will likely take my mom from us, and I can imagine how you are feeling. God bless!

My sister was diagnosed with Spindle Cell Sarcoma last July 2011. She had a sore on her tongue that would not heal. The biopsy showed what it was. She had surgery a few weeks later. By then it was in the lymph nodes in her neck.

We learned today that it has spread to her lungs and lymph nodes in the other side of her neck and under her arm. The doctor said the only option is chemo to slow the spreading. Does anyone know of a cancer center that is successfully treating the cancer?

My girlfriend died of complications of spindle cell. Her appetite had gotten noticeably less and less (I had noticed and commented to her about it.) She said she just wasn't hungry. This went on for about a month. I finally convinced her to go see a doctor, that she couldn't go on not eating.

Originally, we thought maybe she had a gallbladder issue. Her GP thought so too. When we went to get a sonogram prior to visiting the surgeon for gallbladder we were advised that her gallbladder was not visible due to her enlarged liver. The doctor called for a biopsy of her liver and discovered the cancer. They advised that the liver was not the source of the cancer and spindle cell was mentioned for the first time.

The doctors advised that chemo be injected locally via the femoral artery into one half of her liver in an attempt to save as much of the liver as possible. Within a week the cancer had spread to her right lung. She was re-admitted to the hospital. She had her lung tapped and ultimately a chest tube was installed to adequately drain the fluid from the lung.

The doctors advised that the best course of action was to give her full chemotherapy three weeks ahead of the second localized dose. After that, she started having chest pain, general deterioration in cognizance and strength and eventually went on life support. She was removed from the respirator and we were advised there was nothing more medically that could be done. She was transferred to a local hospice where she died three days later.

Within three months of diagnosis she was gone. Words cannot adequately express my grief. This blindsided her, me -- all of us.

Spindle cell sarcoma killed my sister. She was 24 years old. From the date she was diagnosed to the date she died was roughly three years. It is very aggressive.

My mother was discharged yesterday from MD Anderson Cancer Center and diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma. She began having some discomfort in her abdomen in Feb. 2011 and her blood work showed that she was anemic. Quickly she was fatigued, the pain level kept rising, she was running a small fever in the evenings and stayed so hot that she swore that she must have smoke coming out her ears. She also mentioned a stabbing pain radiating from her belly button area.

Within two weeks of the CT scan that identified the tumors several on the liver and one in the small bowel and waiting on a referral to the cancer center, the tumors had almost doubled in size. Unfortunately the largest tumor has invaded the bowel and there are no options available medically. She has been placed on hospice.

My father was just diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma in the right lung and chest cavity. In hindsight, I can almost detect its onset because of his change in mood and energy level.

He has started chemotherapy since we were told it is only treatable, not curable. He does have pain, both from being post operative and the cancer we are told. It is a very hard cancer to find anything useful or helpful to read up on.

there are no uniform symptoms. if you have a good doctor, they will order a full blood work up. my husband was diagnosed with retroperitoneal high grade spindle cell sarcoma. by the time the tumor was removed it had grown to seven and half pounds.

that was august of 2008. he is doing OK now. he says it's because of me. we have been together for 30 years.

My husband was diagnosed with meningeal spindle cell sarcoma.He was perfectly healthy until hitting his head at work. He developed blurred vision within six hours and then started having numbness/tingling in his left arm/leg. He died 99 days after the diagnosis. He actually became paralyzed in 60 days since the tumor was rapidly traveling down his spine.

He actually aspirated and died from pneumonia. He was doing OK until we agreed to take Chemo, and it totally devastated him. I would definitely not recommend it for this type of cancer.

Spindle cell sarcomas also occur in cats and dogs, particularly in older cats and dogs.

Unfortunately, the diagnosis is very poor, and many pets have to be euthanized because of this cancer.

@Planch -- Well, as the article said, the symptoms do vary, and often resemble other conditions.

It also doesn't help that there are four kinds of spindle cell sarcoma. However, there are some symptoms to look out for.

Like bone cancer, spindle cell sarcoma presents with a lot of pain, sometimes with localized swelling. The pain usually worsens at night.

Spindle cell sarcoma is most common in the lower thighs, shins, and arms.

Other common symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, and fever.

So what are some of the symptoms of spindle cell sarcoma or spindle cell tumors?

I know the article said they varied, but are there any uniform or common symptoms?