What is a Sarcoma?

A sarcoma is a type of cancer that develops from certain tissues, like bone or muscle. There are 2 main types of sarcomas: bone sarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas. Soft tissue sarcomas can develop from soft tissues like fat, muscle, nerves, fibrous tissues, blood vessels, or deep skin tissues. Although they can be found in any part of the body, most of them - about 60 percent - develop in the arms, hands, feet or legs. They can also be found in the trunk, head and neck area, internal organs, and the area in back of the abdominal cavity. Sarcomas are not common tumors. Only about 10,000 soft tissue sarcomas are diagnosed annually in the United States.

On the American Cancer Society's webpage about sarcomas there are no fewer than forty kinds of sarcomas listed. For that reason, we will not try to list them all here, but instead suggest that if you are truly interested in that many different kinds of sarcomas, you can take a look at their list. We don't mind.

A soft tissue sarcoma usually produces no signs and symptoms in its early stages. As the tumor grows, it may cause:

• A noticeable lump or swelling
• Pain, if it presses on nerves or muscles
• A blockage in the stomach or intestines or gastrointestinal bleeding if the tumor is located in the abdomen or digestive tract

Generally, the cause of most soft tissue sarcomas is unknown. One of the few soft tissue sarcomas that has a known cause is Kaposi's sarcoma. It occurs in people with defective immune systems and is caused by a virus known as human herpes virus 8 (HHV8). Some types of sarcomas are believed to be hereditary. You can see this list here.

Talk to your doctor if you discover a lump that persists or if you notice signs or symptoms that may indicate a soft tissue sarcoma, such as worsening abdominal pain or blood in your stool. 

Information for this post was gathered from the Mayo Clinic website and the American Cancer Society's page about sarcoma.