July is an important month for us at Palo Verde Cancer Specialists – and even though the Arizona heat can get stifling, we’re still always happy to see July come around. That’s because July is Sarcoma Awareness Month, which supports an important cause: gaining awareness for sarcoma, a rare cancer of the nerves, muscles, joints, bones, and fat. Unlike more well-known cancers like breast cancer, there’s less public awareness around sarcoma, and it often isn’t diagnosed until it’s already advanced and spread to other parts of the body. Raising awareness is critical to helping more people detect sarcoma and begin treatment early, when chances of success are higher, and Sarcoma Awareness Month can help to reach that goal.
Awareness for a Forgotten Cancer
Sarcoma is exceedingly rare, with one of the most aggressive forms of the cancer (Rhabdomyosarcoma, or rhabdo for short) affecting just 6 in a million children. Because of its rarity, there’s little public awareness or research money devoted to treating or curing sarcoma, leading some to call it a “forgotten cancer.” But while it may be rare, for those affected and their families, it’s still a critically impactful disease – and that means raising awareness is important.
Sarcoma Awareness Month is even more important, because unlike many other cancer awareness months, Sarcoma Awareness Month has yet to be officially recognized by the US government. At a 2007 summit of connective tissue oncology, a number of sarcoma advocates and non-profits agreed that July should be designated Sarcoma Awareness Month and have been fighting since then to secure an official congressional designation – but even after 10 years of work, the government has yet to officially recognize an awareness month for this little-known disease. This makes it even more important for us to honor July as Sarcoma Awareness Month and raise the profile of sarcoma. If you’d like to do your part in raising awareness for sarcoma, we encourage you to sign the petition for Sarcoma Awareness Month.
Schedule a Consultation with Your Phoenix, AZ Cancer Treatment Center
We hope you’ll take the month of July to learn a little more about sarcoma, its symptoms, and what you can do to prevent it – and if the cause seems important to you, as we hope it does, we encourage you to sign the petition. While sarcoma is a rare condition, cancer as a whole is exceedingly common. At Palo Verde Cancer Specialists, we’re proud to provide world-class treatments for almost every form of cancer, and if you or a loved one have been diagnosed, we’re here to help. Don’t wait: schedule an appointment today for a consultation or second opinion. We’ll work with you to create a treatment plan that works for your situation, helping you start down the path to beating cancer and reclaiming a normal, healthy life.
