What is soft tissue sarcoma?
soft tissue sarcoma is a form of cancer affecting soft tissue or supporting structure of the body. It most often occurs in connective tissue such as tendons, ligaments, fascia, fat and synovium of the joints, but can also occur in other soft tissues including nerves, muscles and blood vessels. Sarcoma soft tissue is rare, involving about one percent of new cancer. People over 50 are more common, but no other risk factors or causes have been identified. It is associated with some genetic disorders, including type I neurofibomatosis and rare Li-Fraumeni syndrome, as well as environmental factors, including radiation and chemicals, including vinyl chloride.
soft tissue sarcoma is usually asymptomatic until it is relatively advanced. The first feature is usually a lump or swelling that becomes painful only if it is large enough to exert pressure on the surrounding structures. Cancer can only be diagnosed with biopsy, which is a procedure in the whm part of the tumor is cut and examinedin the laboratory. For this reason, all lumps arising from any soft tissues should be exposed to a biopsy if they do not disappear after a short time. Sarcoma soft tissues can metastasize or spread to other organs such as lymph nodes and lungs.
The treatment of soft tissue sarcoma is similar to the treatment of other cancers and depends on how far cancer is advanced and whether it is metastasized or not. The basic treatment options are chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, each of which can be used in combination. The most common treatment is surgical removal of the tumor. Part of healthy tissue surrounding the tumor is also removed to ensure that there is no cancer and to prevent repetition. Radiation and chemotherapy can be used to reduce tumors prior to surgery or prevent cancer repetition of surgery or to solve tumors that cannot be surgically removed due to their location.
soft tissue sarcoma is classified on the basis of the type of tissue from which it arises. In adults, it is most often based on fibrous tissues in arms, legs or torso, while in children it most often arises in the muscle of these areas or head, neck or urinary tract. Sarcoma soft tissues resulting from cartilage or tissue forming bones is the most rare type in age groups.