Sarcoma

Cancerous tumors of the soft tissues
Cancer care
cancer diagnosis

A broad term for cancers that start in soft tissues like muscle, tendons, fat, lymph and blood vessels, and nerves.

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How common is sarcoma?

Below are a series of statistics on sarcoma to indicate how common the condition is and possible figures related to its treatment

The average age of a patient diagnosed with sarcoma is considerably younger than the age of most cancer diagnoses.

Other types of cancer

Below you can find information on other types of cancer screenings that you might be interested in.

Bladder cancer

Cancer of the bladder

The fourth most common cancer in men and the twelfth most common cancer in women.

Breast cancer

Cancer of the breast

Cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts and can occur in both men and women, but it's far more common in women.

Cervical cancer

Cancer of the cervix

If detected early, cancer of the cervix can be one of the most successfully treatable cancers...

Colorectal cancer

Cancer of the rectum or colon

Colon cancer and rectal cancer are often grouped together because they have many features in common.

Sarcoma

Cancerous tumours of the soft tissues

A broad term for cancers that start in soft tissues like muscle, tendons, fat, lymph and blood vessels, and nerves.

Throat cancer

Cancer of the throat

A fast-growing cancer; therefore early treatment is key to having a good quality of life.

Lung Cancer

Caner of the lung

People who smoke are at a greater risk of getting lung cancer, though lung cancer can also occur in people who have never smoked.

Melanoma

A type of skin cancer

The primary known cause of melanoma, as well as all other types of skin cancer, is exposure to ultraviolet radiation contained in sunlight.

Lymphoma

Cancer of lymphocytes

Lymphoma can be divided broadly into 2 types of lymphoma: Hodgkins Lymphoma or Hodgkins Disease (HD) and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL).

Head and neck cancers

Cancer of the head and neck

These cancers, that could include oesophageal cancer, usually begin in the cells that line the moist surfaces (mucosal membranes) inside the...

Ovarian cancer

Cancer of the ovary

Recent evidence suggests that many ovarian cancers may actually start in the cells in the far end of the fallopian...

Prostate cancer

Cancer of the prostate gland

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. The lifetime risk for prostate cancer in men in South Africa, is 1 in 18.

Stomach cancer

Also known as gastric cancer

Most cancers of the stomach are adenocarcinomas. These cancers develop from the gland cells in the innermost lining of the stomach.

Thyroid cancer

Cancer of the thyroid gland

The thyroid gland makes hormones that help regulate your metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.

Uterine cancer

Cancer of the uterus or womb

Most uterine cancer begins in the layer of cells that form the lining (endometrium) of the uterus.

 
 
 

Kaposi Sarcoma

Cancer starts when cells start to grow out of control. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer and can spread to other areas.

There are many types of soft tissue tumors, and not all of them are cancerous. Many benign tumors are found in soft tissues. The word benign means they're not cancer. These tumors can't spread to other parts of the body. Some soft tissue tumors behave in ways between a cancer and a non-cancer. These are called intermediate soft tissue tumors.

Soft tissue sarcoma is a broad term for cancers that start in soft tissues (muscle, tendons, fat, lymph and blood vessels, and nerves). These cancers can develop anywhere in the body but are found mostly in the arms, legs, chest, and abdomen.

When the word sarcoma is part of the name of a disease, it means the tumor is malignant (cancer). A sarcoma is a type of cancer that starts in tissues like bone or muscle. Bone and soft tissue sarcomas are the main types of sarcoma. There are more than 50 different types of soft tissue sarcomas.

Symptoms

About half of soft tissue sarcomas start in an arm or leg. Most people notice a lump that's grown over time (weeks to months). The lump may or may not hurt.

When sarcomas grow in the back of the abdomen, the symptoms often come from other problems the tumor is causing. For instance, they may cause blockage or bleeding of the stomach or bowels. They can press on nerves, blood vessels, or nearby organs. They can grow large enough for the tumor to be felt in the belly, and sometimes the tumors cause pain. In rare cases, sarcomas can start in the chest or in the head or neck.

Sarcomas can develop anywhere in the body.

If you have any of the these problems, see a doctor right away:

A new lump or a lump that's growing (anywhere on your body)

Black, tarry stools (when bleeding happens in the stomach or bowels, the blood can turn black as it's digested, and it might make the stool very black and sticky)

Abdominal pain that's getting worse

Blood in your stool or vomit

Causes

Scientists don't know exactly what causes most soft tissue sarcomas , but they have found some risk factors that can make a person more likely to develop these cancers. And research has shown that some of these risk factors affect the genes in cells in the soft tissues.

Cancers can be caused by DNA changes (gene mutations) that turn on oncogenes or turn off tumor suppressor genes. Several different gene changes are usually needed for a cell to become cancer.

Many family cancer syndromes have been found in which inherited DNA mutations cause a very high risk of developing breast, colon, kidney, eye, or other cancers. Some of these syndromes are also linked to an increased risk of developing soft tissue sarcomas.

DNA mutations in soft tissue sarcoma are common. But they're usually acquired during life rather than having been inherited before birth. Acquired mutations may result from exposure to radiation or cancer-causing chemicals. In most sarcomas, they occur for no apparent reason.

Researchers still don't know why most soft tissue sarcomas develop in people who have no apparent risk factors.

DNA mutations in soft tissue sarcoma are common. But they're usually acquired during life rather than having been inherited before birth. Acquired mutations may result from exposure to radiation or cancer-causing chemicals. In most sarcomas, they occur for no apparent reason.

Researchers still don't know why most soft tissue sarcomas develop in people who have no apparent risk factors.

Mutations are acquired during life rather than having been inherited.

Risk factors

Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer; not having risk factors doesn't mean that you will not get cancer. Talk with your doctor if you think you may be at risk.

Injury and lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, and exercise are NOT linked to the risk for soft tissue sarcoma. But the injury issue has caused some confusion in the past. One reason is that an injured area might swell. That swelling could look like a tumor, but it isn't one. Also, when you are injured, the pain may draw your attention to the injured area. A doctor may check the area, and x-rays or other imaging studies may be done. This can make it more likely that any sarcoma that's there will be discovered, even though it may have been there for some time.

Still, scientists have found a few risk factors that make a person more likely to develop soft tissue sarcomas:

  • Retinoblastoma
  • Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1; von Recklinghausen disease)
  • Tuberous sclerosis (Bourneville disease)
  • Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP; Gardner syndrome)
  • Li-Fraumeni syndrome
  • Werner syndrome (adult progeria)
  • Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (Gorlin syndrome)

Most sarcomas do not have known causes. The following risk factors may increase a person’s risk of developing sarcoma:

  • Previous radiation treatment, usually more than 5 years ago
  • Genetics. People with certain inherited diseases such as neurofibromatosis type 1 and Tuberous sclerosis among others have a higher risk for sarcoma
  • Immune system abnormalities e.g. HIV infection or automimmune conditions like lupus or psoriasis
  • Lymphedema (swelling of an arm, leg or other part of the body as a side effect of treatment)
  • Sarcoma can occasionally form in the area where lymphedema had developed
  • Chemicals such as Agent Orange or dioxin as examples
Mutations are acquired during life rather than having been inherited.

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