Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is in the US for medical treatment of a rare kind of cancer. Reports suggest that he may not be able to present this year’s Interim Budget on February 1. Jaitley,66, had left for the US on Sunday for what was believed to be a medical check-up relating to his kidney ailment. However, sources said he was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma, a rare type of cancer, and decided to go for treatment in New York.

What are soft tissue sarcomas

Soft tissue sarcomas are a group of rare tumours in the connective tissues derived from the mesenchymal tissues and can occur almost anywhere in the body. They are a relatively uncommon group of malignancies. Soft tissue sarcomas may occur at any age, most often in middle-aged and older adults.

Causes of soft tissue sarcomas

A study notes that for the vast majority of cases, the aetiology is unknown. There are certain genetic associations. There is also a small risk of sarcoma in areas of the body previously treated using radiotherapy.

Treatment of soft tissue sarcomas

Once the diagnosis has been confirmed using imaging, plus a biopsy, the main modality of management is usually surgical excision performed by a specialist surgeon. Surgery is the standard treatment for all patients with adult-type, localised soft tissue sarcomas. Evaluation and treatment options depend on the tumour stage, the anatomical location, and the patient’s comorbidities. The primary aim of surgery is to completely excise the tumour with a margin of normal tissue. Regular follow-up is recommended to assess local control, development of metastatic disease, and any late-effects of treatment. Both pre- and postoperative radiation therapy are considered to be standard approaches for most intermediate or high-grade soft tissue sarcomas. The majority of patients with low-grade tumours will not require radiation therapy. It is considered for those with large, deep tumours.

Arun Jaitley had undergone a renal transplant surgery on May 14 last year. He was admitted to AIIMS last year in early April following which he underwent dialysis. Earlier, in September 2014, he underwent a bariatric surgery on account of severe diabetes.

On Wednesday, BJP President Amit Shah was admitted to AIIMS for swine flu treatment.

With inputs from IANS and Vodanovich DA, M Choong PF. Soft-tissue Sarcomas. Indian J Orthop. 2018;52(1):35-44, Dangoor A, Seddon B, Gerrand C, Grimer R, Whelan J, Judson I. UK guidelines for the management of soft tissue sarcomas. Clin Sarcoma Res. 2016;6:20.

Courtesy by : Daily Hunt