Soft Tissue Sarcoma
April 6, 2022 9:34 am
A sarcoma is a malignant, or cancerous, tumor that occurs in your body. If one of these develops in the connective tissues of your body, it is called a soft tissue sarcoma. Many types of tumors that grow in these tissues are completely benign, which means they are not cancerous. However, if you have a soft tissue sarcoma, it can spread to other parts of your body. If left untreated, some types of soft tissue sarcomas can be deadly.
How Common Are Soft Tissue Sarcomas?
The good news is that soft tissue sarcomas are a rare form of cancer. According to statistics from the National Cancer Institute, between 3 and 4 out of every 100,000 adult Americans will develop it per year. On average, 65% of people with soft tissue sarcoma live five years or longer after diagnosis.
Where Can I Get a Soft Tissue Sarcoma?
Soft tissue sarcomas can form in any soft tissue in your body, including your:
- Blood vessels
- Cartilage around your joints
- Fat
- Ligaments and tendons
- Muscles, including your heart
- Nerves
The most common places for these types of tumors to develop are your abdomen, your head or neck, and your arms or legs.
What Are the Symptoms of Soft Tissue Sarcoma?
If your soft tissue sarcoma is visible, it will just look like a lump. Sarcomas may not cause pain. However, they can be painful if they grow big enough to press against organs or joints and put pressure on them. If you have one in your abdomen, you may not know you have one until it has grown very large. Sometimes soft tissue sarcomas will first be noticed during a CT scan or other imaging for a different medical issue.
Are Soft Tissue Sarcomas Preventable?
The causes for most types of soft tissue sarcomas are unknown. While people over 65 are more likely to develop these tumors, certain kinds can develop in small children or teenagers.
Risk factors for soft tissue sarcomas include:
- Certain inherited genetic conditions like retinoblastoma, von Recklinghausen disease, Bourneville disease, Gardner syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Werner syndrome and Gorlin syndrome
- Exposure to chemicals like arsenic, thorium dioxide or vinyl chloride
- Exposure to radiation therapy during cancer treatment
- Long-term swelling in the arms or legs (lymphoedema)
How Are Soft Tissue Sarcomas Treated?
Treatment for soft tissue sarcomas depends on the location of the tumor, the type of tumor, how fast it is growing, and how far the tumor has spread. A biopsy and diagnostic imaging will help your provider find out answers to those questions. Depending on your type of sarcoma, treatment could include:
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Surgery
- Targeted therapy, including Tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy
Many people will need a combination of therapies to treat their cancer.
If you’re experiencing abnormal swelling or have risk factors for soft tissue sarcoma, talk to a MRHC provider today.
Tags: cancer, sarcoma, soft tissue sarcoma
NewsCategorized in: OncologyCategorized in: Orthopaedic
This post was written by Magnolia Regional Health Center