Sarcoma

Overview

Sarcoma refers to a broad group of cancers that start in the bones and soft tissues. Soft tissues connect, support and surround other body structures. Soft tissues include muscle, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons and the lining of the joints. Cancer that starts in the soft tissue is called soft tissue sarcoma.

There are many types of sarcomas. They can happen in many parts of the body. Treatment for sarcoma varies depending on sarcoma type, where it is and other factors.

Types

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of sarcoma include:

• A lump that can be felt through the skin that may or may not be painful.
• Bone pain.
• A bone that breaks with no clear cause, such as with a minor injury or no injury.
• Belly pain.
• Weight loss.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare professional for symptoms that worry you.

Causes

It's not clear what causes sarcoma. This cancer starts as a growth of cells in the bones and soft tissues.

Sarcoma happens when cells develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA tells the cells to grow and multiply at a set rate. The DNA also tells the cells to die at a set time.

In cancer cells, the DNA changes give other instructions. The changes tell the cancer cells to grow and multiply quickly. Cancer cells can keep living when healthy cells would die. This causes too many cells.

The cancer cells might form a mass called a tumor. The tumor can grow to invade and destroy healthy body tissue. In time, cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads, it's called metastatic cancer.

Risk factors

Factors that can increase the risk of sarcoma include:

• Inherited syndromes. Some syndromes that raise the risk of cancer can pass from parents to children. For instance, syndromes that increase the risk of sarcoma include Li-Fraumeni syndrome, familial retinoblastoma and neurofibromatosis type 1.
• Radiation therapy for cancer. Radiation treatment for cancer raises the risk of getting a sarcoma later.
• Lymphedema. Lymphedema is swelling that happens when something blocks or damages the lymphatic system. Lymphedema raises the risk of a type of sarcoma called angiosarcoma.
• Exposure to viruses. The virus called human herpes virus 8 can raise the risk of a type of sarcoma called Kaposi sarcoma in people with weakened immune systems.

Living with sarcoma?

Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Sarcoma support group on Mayo Clinic Connect, a patient community.

Sarcoma Discussions

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