I want to extend a warm welcome to you as a potential client of The Moss Report on Sarcoma. For over 35 years, it has been my mission to educate and empower patients, including many with this type of cancer. I would be honored to be part of your healing journey.

A sarcoma is a cancer that arises from cells derived from the embryonic mesoderm layer. There are various types of sarcoma, some of which have very different prognoses (i.e., likely outcomes). The two major categories are soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and sarcoma of the bone.

This Moss Report on Sarcoma includes a discussion of these two main varieties, as classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other agencies, as well as more than two dozen subtypes that exist.

The bony tumors include Askin’s tumor; botryodies; chondrosarcoma; Ewing’s sarcoma; pnet; malignant hemangioendothelioma; malignant schwannoma; and osteosarcoma.

The soft tissue sarcomas, include alveolar soft part sarcoma; angiosarcoma; cystosarcoma phyllodes; dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP); desmoid tumor; desmoplastic small round cell tumor; epithelioid sarcoma; extraskeletal chondrosarcoma; extraskeletal osteosarcoma; fibrosarcoma; hemangiopericytoma (also known as “solitary fibrous tumor”); hemangiosarcoma (more commonly referred to as “angiosarcoma”); Kaposi’s sarcoma; leiomyosarcoma; liposarcoma; lymphangiosarcoma; malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST); neurofibrosarcoma; rhabdomyosarcoma; synovial sarcoma; and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (previously referred to as malignant fibrous histiocytoma).

This great variety of tumors is generally classified by (a) cellular origin and (b) how those cells behave—ranging from the least aggressive to the most malignant. The classification and grade of sarcoma may be used to predict its likely behavior. This is based on the microscopic appearance of tumor tissue derived from a biopsy sample.

Over the years, my thinking about sarcomas of all types has evolved considerably. I would like to share with you some of the core beliefs I have developed about this extremely varied type of cancer and the recovery process.

In the Moss Report on Sarcoma we fully deal with the conventional treatments of this disease category. What are these? They mainly consist of surgery, various types of radiation (including external beam, brachytherapy or radioactive seeds, and proton beam therapy), as well as various types of chemotherapy and ‘targeted’ agents. We also discuss the issue of “watchful waiting” in both bony and soft tissue sarcoma. When might this be appropriate as an option?

We are not allied with any doctor, hospital or agency that administers such treatments. This gives us the unusual ability to assess the effectiveness of these treatments without any prejudice created by how we earn our living. We combine this with a detailed knowledge of how these treatments are actually administered and what they are likely to deliver.

While conventional treatments of sarcoma definitely have their place, and have often been instrumental in a cure, I also believe that there are new treatments that offer hope to patients with sarcoma, such as those involved in secondary prevention (i.e., to ward off recurrences).

There also are scientifically valid treatments that come from outside conventional Western medicine. These treatments offer hope of real and substantial benefit to patients with sarcoma, even those with advanced disease. In this Moss Report on Sarcoma I will discuss the ones that I believe are most promising and relevant. Some of the most promising involve the medical use of heat and electricity, fever and immunotherapy and virology.

Keep in mind that some of what are called “alternative treatments” in the United States are accepted and used in other countries. Some treatments for sarcoma are so embroiled in controversy that it is difficult to arrive at objective information about their effectiveness. I have done my best to reach a realistic judgment on many of these. Yet other treatments and approaches appear worthless or even dangerous.

My goal is to provide you with information as well as to convey a way of looking at these questions that you can apply to other treatments. I hope to give you a compass with which to evaluate the many conflicting treatment claims in the sarcoma field and to help you formulate a winning plan for yourself. Let my knowledge, objectivity, and experience help guide your journey!

I believe that overcoming one or another form of sarcoma and remaining well is more than just a physical process. Of course, medical treatments, such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, as well as more natural therapies, have their place in the treatment of this disease, and you need scientific information to make rational decisions about them all. But there is another dimension to the cancer problem. As one long-term survivor put it, “Returning to a state of health is not just about having treatment; it means dealing with the mental, emotional and the spiritual issues that tend to manifest physically. It means asking, ‘Am I on the path that I want to be on?’

This Moss Report on Sarcoma is dedicated to helping you to repair the breach that this illness has created in your life. To do so, you need to seek emotional healing as well. The attention you give these less tangible areas can speed healing and enhance the effectiveness of your physical treatments. But it can also serve as a profound source of strength, peace, and inspiration for you. What we call body, mind, and spirit are interwoven strands that form the whole person.