Soft-tissue sarcoma


A soft-tissue sarcoma is a form of sarcoma that develops in connective tissue, though the term is sometimes applied to elements of the soft tissue that are not currently considered connective tissue. There are a number of types.

Types

Tissue of OriginType of CancerUsual Location in the BodyMost common ages
Muscle
Striated muscleRhabdomyosarcoma
EmbryonalHead and neck, genitourinary tractInfant–4
Alveolar soft part sarcomaArms, legs, head, and neckInfant–19
Smooth muscleLeiomyosarcomaTrunk15–19
Fibrous tissueFibrosarcomaArms and legs15–19
Malignant fibrous
histiocytoma		Legs15–19
DermatofibrosarcomaTrunk15–19
FatLiposarcomaArms and Legs15–19
Blood vesselsInfantile hemangio-pericytomaArms, legs, trunk, head, and neckInfant–4
Synovial tissue
Synovial sarcomaLegs, arms, and trunk15–19
Peripheral nervesMalignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors Arms, legs, and trunk15–19
Muscular nervesAlveolar soft part sarcomaArms and legsInfant–19
Cartilage and bone-forming tissueExtraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomaLegs10–14
Extraskeletal mesenchymalLegs10–14

An earlier version of this article was taken from the US National Cancer Center's Cancer Information Service.

Signs and symptoms

In their early stages, soft-tissue sarcomas usually do not cause symptoms. Because soft tissue is relatively elastic, tumors can grow rather large, pushing aside normal tissue, before they are felt or cause any problems. The first noticeable symptom is usually a painless lump or swelling. As the tumor grows, it may cause other symptoms, such as pain or soreness, as it presses against nearby nerves and muscles. If in the abdomen it can cause abdominal pains commonly mistaken for menstrual cramps, indigestion, or cause constipation.

Risk factors

Most soft-tissue sarcomas are not associated with any known risk factors or identifiable cause. There are some exceptions:
The only reliable way to determine whether a soft-tissue tumour is benign or malignant is through a biopsy. The two methods for acquisition of tumour tissue for cytopathological analysis are:
A pathologist examines the tissue under a microscope. If cancer is present, the pathologist can usually determine the type of cancer and its grade. Here, 'grade' refers to a scale used to represent concisely the predicted growth rate of the tumour and its tendency to spread, and this is determined by the degree to which the cancer cells appear abnormal when examined under a microscope. Low-grade sarcomas, although cancerous, are defined as those that are less likely to metastasise. High-grade sarcomas are defined as those more likely to spread to other parts of the body.
For soft-tissue sarcoma, the two histological grading systems are the National Cancer Institute system and the French Federation of Cancer Centers Sarcoma Group system.
Soft-tissue sarcomas commonly originate in the upper body, in the shoulder or upper chest. Some symptoms are uneven posture, pain in the trapezius muscle, and cervical inflexibility .
The most common site to which soft-tissue sarcoma spreads is the lungs.

Treatment

In general, treatment for soft-tissue sarcomas depends on the stage of the cancer. The stage of the sarcoma is based on the size and grade of the tumor, and whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body. Treatment options for soft-tissue sarcomas include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
The research in soft tissue sarcoma requires lot of effort because of its rarity and needs immense collaboration. In year 2019, few notable researches have been presented but mostly failed. However, we are learning that they can't be lumped together and each sarcoma is a different disease.

Epidemiology

Soft-tissue sarcomas are relatively uncommon cancers. They account for less than 1% of all new cancer cases each year. This may be because cells in soft tissue, in contrast to tissues that more commonly give rise to malignancies, are not continuously dividing cells.
In 2006, about 9,500 new cases were diagnosed in the United States. Soft-tissue sarcomas are more commonly found in older patients, although in children and adolescents under age 20, certain histologies are common.
Around 3,300 people were diagnosed with soft-tissue sarcoma in the UK in 2011.

Notable patients