Sarcoma is a type of cancer that can occur in various locations in your body.

Sarcoma is the general term for a broad group of cancers that begin in the bones and in the soft (also called connective) tissues (soft tissue sarcoma). Soft tissue sarcoma forms in the tissues that connect support and surround other body structures. This includes muscle, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons and the lining of your joints.

There are more than 70 types of sarcoma. Treatment for sarcoma varies depending on sarcoma type, location and other factors.

Symptoms

• A lump that can be felt through the skin that may or may not be painful
• Bone pain
• A broken bone that happens unexpectedly, such as with a minor injury or no injury at all
• Abdominal pain
• Weight loss

Causes

In general, cancer forms when changes (mutations) happen in the DNA within cells. The DNA inside a cell is packaged into a large number of individual genes, each of which contains a set of instructions telling the cell what functions to perform, as well as how to grow and divide.

Mutations might tell cells to grow and divide uncontrollably and to continue living when normal cells would die. If this happens, the accumulating abnormal cells can form a tumor. Cells can break away and spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

Risk factors

Inherited syndromes: Some syndromes that increase the risk of cancer can be passed from parents to children. Examples of syndromes that increase the risk of sarcoma include familial retinoblastoma and neurofibromatosis type 1.

Radiation therapy for cancer: Radiation treatment for cancer increases the risk of developing a sarcoma later.

Chronic swelling (lymphedema): Lymphedema is swelling caused by a backup of lymph fluid that occurs when the lymphatic system is blocked or damaged. It increases the risk of a type of sarcoma called angiosarcoma.

Exposure to chemicals: Certain chemicals, such as some industrial chemicals and herbicides, can increase the risk of sarcoma that affects the liver.

Exposure to viruses: The virus called human herpesvirus 8 can increase the risk of a type of sarcoma called Kaposi's sarcoma in people with weakened immune systems.

Diagnosis

A physical exam: Doctor will likely do a physical exam to better understand your symptoms and look for other clues that will help with your diagnosis.

Imaging tests: Which imaging tests are right for you will depend on your situation. Some tests, such as X-rays, are better for seeing bone problems. Other tests, such as MRI, are better for seeing connective tissue problems. Other imaging tests might include ultrasound, CT, bone scans and positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

Removing a sample of tissue for testing (biopsy): A biopsy is a procedure to remove a piece of suspicious tissue for lab testing. Sophisticated lab tests can determine whether the cells are cancerous and what kind of cancer they represent. Tests can also reveal information that's helpful for choosing the best treatments.

Treatment

Surgery: The goal of surgery for sarcoma is to remove all of the cancer cells. Sometimes it's necessary to amputate an arm or leg to remove all of the cancer, but surgeons try to preserve limb function when possible. Sometimes all of the cancer can't be removed without hurting important structures, such as nerves or organs. In these situations, the surgeons work to remove as much of the sarcoma as possible.

Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays and protons, to kill cancer cells. The radiation can come from a machine that moves around your body directing the beams of energy (external beam radiation). Or the radiation might be placed in your body temporarily (brachytherapy). Sometimes radiation is done during an operation to remove the cancer (intraoperative radiation).

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses chemicals to kill cancer cells. Some types of sarcoma are more likely to respond to chemotherapy treatment than others.

Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy is a drug treatment that uses medicines that attack specific weaknesses in cancer cells.

Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy is a drug treatment that uses your immune system to fight cancer. Your body's disease-fighting immune system may not attack your cancer because the cancer cells produce proteins that blind the immune system cells. Immunotherapy drugs work by interfering with that process.

Ablation therapy: Ablation therapy treatments destroy cancer cells by applying electricity to heat the cells, very cold liquid to freeze the cells or high-frequency ultrasound waves to damage the cells.

Conclusion

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Journal of Molecular Oncology Research
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