Soft Tissue Sarcoma – Symptoms and Causes
Overview
Soft tissue sarcoma is a rare cancer that develops in the body’s connective tissues, including muscles, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons, and joint linings.
These cancers can appear anywhere in the body but most commonly affect the arms, legs, and abdominal area.
Medical experts have identified more than 50 different types of soft tissue sarcomas. Some varieties primarily affect children, while others are more common in adults. Diagnosis can be challenging because these growths often resemble other conditions.
Treatment options include:
- Surgery (primary treatment)
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
The specific treatment plan depends on several factors:
- Cancer size and location
- Sarcoma type
- Growth rate
Doctors typically customize treatment approaches based on individual patient circumstances and the specific characteristics of the sarcoma.
Main Types of Sarcoma
Sarcomas come in several distinct types, each affecting different tissues in the body:
- Angiosarcoma: Forms in blood vessel walls.
- Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans: Develops in skin tissue.
- Epithelioid Sarcoma: Typically appears in soft tissues under the skin.
- Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST): Occurs in the digestive tract.
- Kaposi Sarcoma: Related to specific viral infections.
Additional types include leiomyosarcoma (smooth muscle), liposarcoma (fat tissue), and rhabdomyosarcoma (skeletal muscle). Nerve-related sarcomas and undifferentiated forms also exist.
Signs and Symptoms
Soft tissue sarcomas often don’t cause symptoms in their early stages. As the tumor grows, you might notice:
- A visible lump or swelling
- Pain when the growth pushes against nerves or muscles
Medical Attention
If you notice any concerning symptoms like unexplained lumps or persistent pain, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider promptly. Early detection can lead to more effective treatment options.
What Triggers Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Scientists don’t fully understand what causes most soft tissue sarcomas. These cancers begin when DNA changes occur in connective tissue cells.
The DNA acts like a set of instructions for cells, and when these instructions get altered, normal cells can turn into cancer cells.
These DNA changes tell the cells to grow and multiply without stopping. Unlike healthy cells that naturally die after a certain time, cancer cells keep making more copies of themselves. This uncontrolled growth forms a tumor.
Some types of soft tissue sarcoma stay in one place while growing larger. Others can spread to different parts of the body when cancer cells break away from the main tumor.
The specific type of soft tissue sarcoma depends on which cell had the DNA changes. For example:
- Liposarcoma starts in fat cells.
- Angiosarcoma begins in blood vessel lining cells.
- Leiomyosarcoma develops in smooth muscle cells.
Common Types of Soft Tissue Sarcoma:
- Angiosarcoma
- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
- Epithelioid sarcoma
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)
- Kaposi’s sarcoma
- Leiomyosarcoma
- Liposarcoma
- Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor
- Myxofibrosarcoma
- Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Solitary fibrous tumor
- Synovial sarcoma
- Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma
Each type has its own growth patterns and behaviors based on the original cells affected by DNA changes.
Risk Factors
Several factors can increase a person’s chance of developing sarcoma:
Genetic Conditions
- Hereditary retinoblastoma
- Li-Fraumeni syndrome
- Familial adenomatous polyposis
- Neurofibromatosis
- Tuberous sclerosis
- Werner syndrome
Environmental Exposures
- Chemical contact with herbicides, arsenic, and dioxin can raise risk
- Previous radiation treatment for other cancers may increase the likelihood of developing soft tissue sarcomas
These risk factors don’t mean someone will definitely get sarcoma, but they might need more careful monitoring if these factors are present in their health history.
