Understanding Sarcoma Cancer & Hair Loss Amid Chemo
- Country blue singer Nat Myers, 35, has shared that his stage 4 intimal sarcoma is stable, his hair is growing back, and he is continuing to tour while receiving chemotherapy.
- Myers’ cancer journey began with what he thought was a lung infection, later revealed to be a widespread soft‑tissue sarcoma called intimal sarcoma. The Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA) says intimal sarcomas are cancerous tumors “arising in large blood vessels of the systemic and pulmonary circulation and also in the heart.”
- The word sarcoma refers to a large array of bone and soft tissue cancers. Those are then further broken down into more specific forms of the disease; there are more than 50 types of soft tissue sarcomas.
- Hair loss usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment. Most people can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment.
- Hair loss is one of the most challenging stages of the cancer journey because hair is so closely tied to your identity. If losing your hair is a concern for you before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, among other things, to maintain your self-esteem.
- For anyone going through treatment and looking to prevent hair loss, scalp cooling devices use constrict the blood flow to the scalp; the caps limit the amount of circulating chemotherapy that reaches the hair follicles, protecting them from some of the chemo’s damaging effects.
The Kentucky-born musician, recognized for his deeply moving blues songs “Yellow Peril” and “Undertaker Blues,” was diagnosed last year with stage 4 sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that affects soft tissues like muscles, tendons, and blood vessels.
Read More“I’m feeling pretty good. We had scans, scans just showing everything’s okay. Pretty okay, you know what I mean?” he explained, noting that his hair is now growing back.
After showing off his hair under his hat, he continued, “I’m hitting the road with Gary Clark Jr. This whole month is going to be full of school shows, but first and foremost, Gary Clark Jr. and Cody. I’m excited to hit the road with them.”
The artist spoke about his upcoming run of shows starting in Huntington, New York, with stops planned in Red Bank, New Jersey; Portland, Maine; Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; and Port Arthur, New York.
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Myers said he is continuing to tour while receiving chemotherapy and feels hopeful about managing both.
He also shared excitement for upcoming performances, including the Kentucky Blues Festival and Bonnaroo.
Myers’ latest update comes after he shared a hopeful message in April, posting a video on social media of himself playing guitar while receiving care at a health facility, and revealing the exact type of sarcoma he’s battling.
“Howdy y’all. I ain’t posted an update about my fight in a while. I been getting back to some aspect of rambling, & some of y’all might think I’m through, or in remission. That’s my fault for not clarifying what’s been going on. My story is a long song, and I doubt it will ever end with ranging a bell. First off, what I got is called intimal sarcoma. The main thing is in my pulmonary artery,” he captioned the post.
Myers said he has been through several rounds of chemotherapy since his diagnosis in 2025. After completing 11 cycles of one treatment, doctors adjusted his plan following complications involving fluid buildup in his lungs. He has since been on a new chemo schedule.
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He explained further, “My cancer, which shrank significantly at first, is still shrinking, but only slightly, and is considered stable.
“My doctors seem confident based on my scans that this switch up will prolly work. But when and if it doesn’t, there is a number of successive treatments they have in mind for me.”
Myers noted that he’s receiving care from teams at The James and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and is grateful for their support.
While he remains on his current treatment plan, he said his doctors are exploring additional options for the future.
Myers’ Cancer Journey
Last year, Myers started experiencing health issues and thought he was dealing with a lingering infection. He later learned there was a much more serious cause behind his symptoms.
“What I thought was a prolonged lung infection turned out to be much more sinister, with growths around my heart and pulmonary artery,” he revealed in a GoFundMe post.
Doctors diagnosed Myers with stage 4 sarcoma.
“Soft tissue sarcoma is a broad term for cancers that start in soft tissues… found mostly in the arms, legs, chest, and abdomen,” according to the National Cancer Institute. Myers noted that his tumors had spread to his arms and veins.
The diagnosis led Myers to put his performances on hold and prioritize his treatment. Despite doctors warning that he might have only weeks left, Myers remained determined to keep fighting.
“Doctors of varying humanity have given me days or weeks to live, but I live by my odds and not theirs,” he wrote.
“I am taking things day by day and conserving and building the energy I need to overcome this affliction. I refuse to speak from the past tense, because there is beauty and life in the struggle I am currently fighting, and I will overcome this,” Myers said.
Last September, Myers received encouraging news when scans showed his tumors were responding to chemotherapy.
Doctors decided to continue his current treatment while exploring additional options, including potential clinical trials.
All About Sarcoma Cancer
Sarcomas are cancers that arise from the cells that hold the body together. They can occur in muscles, nerves, bones, fat, tendons, cartilage or other forms of connective tissues.
“There are hundreds of different kinds of sarcomas, which come from different kinds of cells,” Dr. George Demetri, director of the Sarcoma and Bone Oncology Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
The word sarcoma refers to a large array of bone and soft tissue cancers; those are then further broken down into more specific forms of the disease, however, we will not list them all as there are more than 50 types of soft tissue sarcomas.
“Sarcomas are rare and the cause in most patients is unknown,” Dr. Vishal Gupta, site director of Radiation Oncology at The Blavatnik Family Chelsea Medical Center at Mount Sinai, previously toldSurvivorNet.
The word sarcoma refers to a large array of bone and soft tissue cancers, and individual cancers within that set go by unique names. For instance, other types of sarcomas include:
- Ewing’s sarcoma is a cancer that typically occurs in and around the bones, often in the arms or legs, or the bones of the pelvis. It most commonly occurs in children and young adults.
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- Kaposi sarcoma is a very rare type of cancer that causes lesions on the skin, in lymph nodes, organs, and the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, and throat. It typically affects people with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV.
- Epithelioid sarcoma is a type of soft tissue cancer that grows slowly. It is likely to begin under the skin of areas like the finger, hand, forearm, lower part of the leg, or foot.
- Synovial sarcoma, also called malignant synovioma, is a cancer that can form soft tissues such as muscle or ligaments, commonly close to joints or in areas like the arm, leg, or foot.
- Osteogenic sarcoma, also called osteosarcoma, starts in the bone, often as it is forming as a young person grows.
- Spindle cell sarcoma is very rare, comprising as little as 2 percent of all primary bone cancer cases. It can start in the bone, often in the arms, legs, and pelvis, and usually occurs in people over 40.
- Angiosarcoma: a rare cancer that develops in the inner lining of blood vessels and lymph vessels. It can occur anywhere in the body but is most often found in the skin, breast, liver and spleen.
Sarcoma Symptoms
The typical symptom of sarcomas is a slow-growing, painless mass. But sarcoma can be hard to detect through symptoms. “Unfortunately, most sarcomas do not cause many of the symptoms that may be associated with other cancer,” Dr. Dale Shepard, director of the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute Phase I and Sarcoma Programs, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
Shepard explains that this often leads to large tumors at the time of diagnosis. “Soft tissue sarcomas are typically painless,” he says.
“Bone sarcomas may be mistaken for orthopedic injuries. A mass the size of a golf ball or larger and growing should be evaluated as a potential sarcoma. It’s important that patients who do have symptoms are not dismissive of them.”
Sarcoma Survivor Kara Ladd found solace in Reiki, Meditation, and Energy Healing During Treatment
More On Sarcomas
- Dancing in the Rain: Osteosarcoma Survivor Sona Kocinsky’s Story of Bravery, Resilience and Hope
- New Hope for People with a Rare Type of Cancer Called Epithelioid Sarcoma
- What Are Sarcomas? Know the Types and Symptoms of These Rare Cancers
- Ewing Sarcoma Survivor Cody O’Connor Was Told He’d Never Walk Normally Again. Now He’s Walking 3,000 Miles Across the Country To Raise Awareness
Carcinoma Vs. Sarcoma Explained
Dr. Gupta explains to SurvivorNet that the main difference between a sarcoma and a carcinoma is where they originate. “”A sarcoma typically occurs in soft/connective tissues of the body such as fat, muscle, blood vessels, bones, and nerves whereas a carcinoma typically occurs in organs such as the lung, prostate and breast.”
RELATED: New Hope for People with a Rare Type of Cancer Called Epithelioid Sarcoma
Or as Dr. Shepard puts it, a carcinoma comes from the cells that line organs (think lung, colon, or prostate), while a sarcoma comes from the cells that otherwise make up the organ: “Sarcomas are tumors in what people are made from after the organs are removed.”
Sarcomas may be treated by surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Many patients benefit from treatment with more than one of these methods, Dr. Shepard explains.
Sarcoma Survivor Kara Ladd found solace in Reiki, Meditation, and Energy Healing During Treatment
“More than other types of cancer, the benefits of multidisciplinary care should prompt most patients to be seen by a group that specializes in treating sarcoma.” Dr. Shepard says.
“Even if only for a second opinion or to develop a treatment plan, multidisciplinary care is crucial. As examples, patients may benefit from surgical resection or radiation therapy even with metastatic disease. Patients may benefit from the addition of chemotherapy to radiation therapy prior to surgery to resect a sarcoma.”
Navigating One of the Most Emotional Steps Amid Cancer— Hair Loss
Hair loss is challenging for women and men alike, but it can be incredibly difficult for cancer patients. Losing your hair or seeing it thinning is a common side effect of some cancer treatments.
Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after starting chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment. It occurs because this treatment targets quickly dividing cells throughout the body. That includes cancer cells but also hair cells.
“For cancer patients, losing one’s hair can be unbelievably stressful. To start with, the dread of losing one’s hair can lead to some sleepless nights and feelings of anxiety,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, told SurvivorNet.
WATCH: Hair loss during chemo.
To better cope with this emotional stage of the journey, Dr. Boardman suggests reaching out to other survivors who have been through a similar situation.
Radiation is another treatment that can lead to hair loss if the hair is in the path of the tumor being treated. Radiation for a brain tumor, for example, may cause hair loss.
“If you do lose hair, it will regrow several weeks or months after treatment,” radiation oncologist Dr. James Taylor told SurvivorNet. “Fortunately, for most patients, hair loss is not a concern when having radiation therapy.”
Fortunately, hair loss during cancer treatment is not all bad news. Most people can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment. However, when your hair grows back, you may notice some changes in its color and texture.
If losing your hair is a concern for you before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, among other things.
Another option that can minimize hair loss is cryotherapy, “just a fancy way for saying cold therapy,” says Dr. Renata Urban, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Cryotherapy involves wearing cold caps or special cooling caps before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment.
WATCH: What is a scalp-cooling device?
The caps, which are tightly fitting and strap-on helmet-style, are filled with gel coolant chilled to negative (-15) to (-40) degrees Fahrenheit.
The caps “cause vasoconstriction, or a narrowing of the blood vessels bringing blood to the scalp,” Dr. Urban explains. By constricting the blood flow to the scalp, the caps limit the amount of circulating chemotherapy that reaches the hair follicles, protecting them from some of the chemo’s damaging effects.
The cold also decreases the activity of the hair follicles, slowing down cell division and making them less affected by chemotherapy medicine.
“This has been shown to reduce hair loss by 50 percent,” Dr. Urban says. “I do try to let patients know it’s not a 100 percent prevention strategy, and it’s not been studied in all hair types, but it is at least an available strategy for patients to try.”
Keep in mind you will be experiencing some cold temperatures. Some women find the caps give them a headache. To help withstand the chilly temps, some women will dress warmly and bring blankets.
Remember to always talk with your doctor about potential treatments to mitigate the loss and the resources you have available to handle it.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you’re going through cancer treatment and experiencing hair loss, here are some questions you may consider asking your doctor:
- Are there any treatments to help manage or minimize my hair loss?
- What are scalp-cooling devices, and how do they work?
- Do you recommend scalp-cooling devices?
- What other options are available to help me cope with hair loss?
- Can you recommend a wig maker?
- I’m struggling mentally with my hair loss; can you recommend a therapist to talk to?
- How can I find a local support group with people going through similar things?
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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