Sarcomas are rare cancers that can form in a wide range of tissues throughout the body, affecting adults as well as children. Be informed…
Sarcoma Awareness Month
Sarcomas are rare cancer that can form in a wide range of tissues throughout the body, including muscles, bones, nerves, cartilage, tendons, blood vessels, and fatty and fibrous tissues. Typically, they develop in the arms, legs, and trunk. They can also be found in the stomach and intestines, the soft tissue behind the abdominal organs (retroperitoneal sarcomas), and the female reproductive tract.
Sarcomas are classified into three main types: soft tissue sarcoma, bone cancer, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Within these classifications, there are numerous sub-types. Some tumors are benign or grow slowly; nevertheless, many are aggressive and require comprehensive therapy. Therefore, if you or a loved one is presented with a sarcoma suspect, it is critical to promptly seek the services of highly experienced experts for diagnosis and therapy.
Soft Tissue Sarcoma — Definition, Risk Factors, and Symptoms
Soft tissue sarcoma is a broad term for cancers that start in soft tissues, which connect, support, and surround different body parts, joints, and organs. The soft tissues of the body include the following:
- Cartilage
- Fibrous tissue
- Muscles
- Tendons
- Tissues around joints
- Fat
- Blood vessels
- Lymph vessels
- Nerves
Soft tissue sarcomas may grow anywhere in the body, but they are most common in the arms, legs, and various parts of the abdomen. They can show up as a painless swelling under the skin. When a tumor strains on neighboring nerves, muscles, or blood vessels, it may lead to discomfort. When a tumor grows in the abdomen, symptoms may not appear until it has grown to a large size.
Having certain inherited disorders can increase the risk of soft tissue sarcoma.
- Li-Fraumeni syndrome (multiple tumor syndrome)
- Neurofibromatosis type 1 (multiple tumor syndrome)
- Gardner syndrome (familial colon polypes)
- Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (skin cancer, Gorlin syndrome)
- Werner syndrome (premature aging).
Other risk factors for developing a soft tissue sarcoma include the following:
- having had radiation therapy
- having lymphedema in the arms or legs for a long time
- being exposed to certain chemicals, such as a special X-ray contrast drug, vinyl chloride, or arsenic
- being infected with HIV and human herpesvirus 8
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors — Definition, Risk Factors, and Symptoms
A gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a condition in which abnormal cells grow in the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract. The GI system consists of the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine (colon).
Some GISTs proliferate slowly over time and may never present a problem for a patient, whereas others can grow and spread rapidly. GIST are most frequent in the stomach and small intestine. However, they can occur anywhere in or near the gastrointestinal tract.
The risk of GIST is increased in people who have an inherited change in a certain gene. In rare cases, GISTs can be found in several members of the same family. In rare situations, GISTs might appear in many members of the same family. GIST can be associated with genetic syndromes like Neurofibromatosis NF1 or the Carney triad.
The symptoms of GIST are unspecific and may be caused also by other conditions. Nonetheless, contact your doctor to clarify the reason when you
- detect blood in the stool or vomit.
- suffer from recurrent, sometimes severe pain in the abdomen
- feel full after only a little food has been eaten
- have trouble or pain when swallowing
- feel very tired without other explanation
Bone Cancer — Definition, Risk Factors, and Symptoms
Bone cancer is rare and includes numerous types, including osteosarcomas and Ewing sarcoma.
Osteosarcoma, the most prevalent type of bone cancer, begins in osteoblasts, which are bone cells that produce new bone. Osteosarcomas typically develop at the ends of the long arm and leg bones in the body. More than half of all osteosarcomas are seen around the knee. This kind of bone cancer typically begins in childhood, around the time puberty begins.
Ewing sarcoma originates from a different type of cell in bone or soft tissue. This tumor typically develops in the bones of the legs, arms, feet, hands, chest, pelvis, spine, or skull. It occurs less frequently in the soft tissue of the trunk, head, and neck, as well as the rear of the abdomen and other locations. Ewing sarcoma primarily affects teenagers and young people in their early twenties.
Risk factors for osteosarcoma include the following:
- having had a certain chemotherapy or radiation treatment
- having certain conditions, such as
- Bloom syndrome (skin and skeletal symptoms)
- Diamond-Blackfan anemia (blood disorder)
- Li-Fraumeni syndrome (multiple tumor syndrome)
- Paget disease (skeletal growth disorder)
- hereditary retinoblastoma (eye cancer in children)
- Rothmund-Thomson syndrome (skin, dental, skeletal symptoms)
- Werner syndrome (premature aging)
Children with the rare inherited Fanconi anemia (blood disorder) may be at increased risk for Ewing sarcoma.
Symptoms of osteosarcoma or Ewing sarcoma may include
- swelling over a bone or bony part of the body.
- pain in a bone or joint.
- fever for no known reason.
- a bone that breaks for no known reason.
Although these signs may also be caused by other harmless conditions, contact your or your child’s doctor.
More than 100 Subtypes
Especially soft tissue sarcoma may arise in many different types. If you are searching for more information, we found a highly informative and trustful Patient Guide for you, published by the Anticancer Fund and the European Society for Medical Oncology:
ESMO/ACF Patient Guide: What is Soft Tissue Sarcoma?
Information about different types of bone cancer, also for children, teenagers or young adults ware provides by the UK Bone Cancer Research Trust:
The Correct Diagnosis is Pivotal for Therapeutic Success
When your doctor suspects you or your child may have a sarcoma, additional testing are required. These could involve imaging examinations, biopsies, and/or lab tests.
It may seem simple to remove a small bit of tissue from a visible bulge. However, for the specific form of sarcoma, meticulous biopsy planning is required, which should include a multidisciplinary team of trained clinicians. Proper biopsy collection can help prevent complications and might reduce the amount of surgery needed later.
In our next upcoming blog, we will explain some of the disciplines and their elaborate modern techniques involved in diagnostics of sarcoma.
Therefore, stay with us, stay informed. Your health is our priority!
TheKnowHow — Your Health, Your Voice
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