Soft Tissue Sarcoma | Understanding the Rare Cancer

Sarcoma is a rare cancer that affects the body’s connective tissue. This includes bone, muscle, fat, and nerves. Soft Tissue Sarcoma can grow anywhere in the body, often in the arms, legs, and abdomen. There are over 70 types of these cancers, making up about 80% of all sarcomas.

Read about Kaposi’s sarcoma

It’s important to catch soft tissue sarcomas early because they are easier to treat. If found before it spreads, treatment can be more successful.

Soft tissue sarcomas are very rare, with about 1,600 Australians diagnosed yearly. This means around 6 cases per 100,000 people. These cancers are a bit more common in men and usually affect people over 55.

Knowing about the different types, symptoms, and how to diagnose soft tissue sarcoma helps with early detection. This is key for effective treatment.

What is Soft Tissue Sarcoma?

Definition and Types

Soft tissue sarcoma is a rare cancer that grows in the body’s soft tissues. These tissues include fat, muscle, nerves, tendons, blood vessels, and the lining of joints. It can happen anywhere but often in the arms, legs, and abdomen. There are over 70 different types, each named after the abnormal cells it contains.

This group of cancers is complex and varied. Each type has its own set of characteristics and treatment options. Knowing about soft tissue sarcoma and its types is key to treating this rare condition effectively.

Incidence and Risk Factors

Soft tissue sarcoma is a rare cancer, with about 3,300 cases found in the UK in 2010. It’s a bit more common in men than women. It’s also more likely to be found in people over 55 years old. Nearly 10% of these sarcomas are diagnosed in people under 30.

There are several risk factors for soft tissue sarcoma. Getting radiation therapy, especially at high doses for childhood cancer, can raise the risk later on. Certain genetic conditions like neurofibromatosis, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and retinoblastoma also increase the risk.

Being exposed to chemicals like vinyl chloride and herbicides may increase the risk for some sarcomas, like liver sarcomas. But, the link between these environmental factors and soft tissue sarcomas is not clear. Most of the time, the cause of soft tissue sarcomas is still a mystery.

Symptoms of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcoma often doesn’t show symptoms early on. It usually doesn’t cause any signs. But, as the tumor grows over months, a painless lump might appear. This lump can cause pain as it presses on nerves and muscles later.

The symptoms of soft tissue sarcoma depend on where the tumor is located. Some people might see blood in their vomit or stool, feel bone pain, or have tingling. But, most people with a painless lump don’t have sarcoma. Still, any new or growing lump should be checked by a doctor.

Early symptoms can be hard to spot. It’s key to see a doctor for any unexplained tumor growth or painless lump. Catching it early can really help with treatment and recovery chances.

Diagnosing Soft Tissue Sarcoma

If a doctor thinks you might have diagnosing soft tissue sarcoma, they will run several tests. These tests include blood work, imaging like CT, MRI, and PET scans, and a biopsy. This helps figure out the type and stage of the sarcoma.

A specialist, like an oncologist or orthopedic oncologist, will lead the way in diagnosing soft tissue sarcoma and making a treatment plan. The biopsy for sarcoma is key to confirm the diagnosis. It lets doctors look at the tumor cells closely to find out the specific type of sarcoma.

Tests like CT and MRI scans give detailed info on the tumor’s size, location, and features. This info helps doctors plan the best treatment. These tests also check if the sarcoma has spread to other body parts.

Types of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in Adults

Soft tissue sarcomas are cancers that start in different connective tissues in the body. There are over 80 types of these sarcomas that can happen in adults. Some of the most common ones are undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, angiosarcoma, and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors.

Liposarcoma often starts in the thighs or deep in the belly, coming from fat cells. Leiomyosarcoma is a fast-growing cancer from smooth muscle cells. Angiosarcoma comes from the lining of blood vessels. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors start in the cells around nerves in the peripheral nervous system.

Other sarcoma cell types include gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), which usually appear in the stomach or small intestine. Kaposi sarcoma is linked to Human Herpes Virus 8 and is more common in people with weak immune systems. Knowing the type of sarcoma is key to choosing the right treatment.

Types in Children and Young Adults

Soft tissue sarcomas can happen to anyone, but some types are more common in kids and young adults. Pediatric soft tissue sarcomas and sarcoma in young adults have their own features. They might need special treatment, unlike the usual adult types.

Rhabdomyosarcoma, which comes from muscle cells, is a common childhood sarcoma. Ewing sarcoma can start in bones or soft tissues and is often seen in the young. Synovial sarcoma, found near joints and tendons, is also more common in the young.

These sarcomas in kids and young adults have special genetic and molecular traits. This means they might need unique treatments, like targeted therapies. These approaches help manage these rare cancers in the young.

Treatment Options

Dealing with it requires a detailed plan. The main treatment is usually sarcoma surgery to take out the tumor. This might be combined with radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy based on the situation. The aim is to find the best soft tissue sarcoma treatment for each patient.

Surgery, Radiation, and Chemotherapy

Surgery is key in treating soft tissue sarcoma. The surgeon tries to remove the whole tumor and some healthy tissue around it to lower the chance of it coming back. Sometimes, they can save the affected limb with limb-sparing surgery. Radiation therapy might be used before or after surgery to kill any cancer cells left behind and prevent the sarcoma from coming back.

For more serious or aggressive sarcomas, chemotherapy might be suggested. It can be the main treatment or used with surgery and radiation to make the treatment work better. The treatment plan is made just for each patient, considering their diagnosis and cancer stage.

People with soft tissue sarcomas do better when treated at places like MD Anderson Cancer Center. These centers have the newest in sarcoma surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. They offer the most detailed and tailored care for this rare cancer.

Survival Rates

Survival rates for soft tissue sarcoma depend on the type, stage, and location of the cancer. The overall 5-year survival rate is about 65%. This figure is based on many people with the disease and may not tell us what will happen to each person.

If the sarcoma is caught early, before it spreads, the 5-year survival rate can hit 81%. But if it spreads to nearby organs or lymph nodes, the rate falls to about 50%. If it spreads far away, the rate is around 18%.

Early detection makes a big difference in prognosis for soft tissue sarcoma. For instance, leiomyosarcoma has a 5-year survival rate close to 50%. Well-differentiated liposarcoma is even better, with a rate almost at 90%. But angiosarcoma has a lower rate, about 30%.

These stats come from the SEER database but might not reflect the newest treatments. Each person’s outcome can differ. Ongoing research aims to improve sarcoma prognosis and 5-year survival for sarcoma.

Living with Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Getting diagnosed and treated for soft tissue sarcoma is tough, but there’s a lot of help out there. The Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 support line and the Australia and New Zealand Sarcoma Association (ANZSA) offer support. They give you a list of specialists and centers, plus help with feelings, daily life, and info.

Support and Resources

Soft tissue sarcoma surgery can leave big scars and cause discomfort. It might make moving the affected limb hard at first, but physiotherapy can help. Surgery can also change how you see yourself, affecting your self-esteem.

Those who lose a limb may need time to get used to artificial ones and move well again. Sarcoma UK offers private support, including counseling, for those dealing with soft tissue sarcoma.

Talking openly with loved ones about your cancer can build trust and support. But, it might also cause tension if not everyone wants to talk about it. You might need financial help, advice on benefits, and assistance with everyday tasks like getting a Blue Badge or childcare.

Getting help from social workers or hospital support early can stop small problems from getting bigger. It makes things easier for you and your family. It’s important to keep up with check-ups and yearly visits after treatment to watch for other health issues.

Conclusion

Soft tissue sarcoma is a rare cancer that starts in the body’s connective tissues. It can happen anywhere but often in the arms, legs, and belly. With over 70 different types, it’s a big challenge for doctors and researchers.

Even though it’s rare and complex, we’ve made big steps in understanding it. This has led to better treatments that target the cancer more precisely. Researchers are still looking into what causes it, how to diagnose it, and how to treat it better.

As we keep learning more about sarcoma, we see the value of catching it early and getting care from experts. The future looks bright with new genetics discoveries, targeted treatments, and teamwork in research. These advances could greatly improve how we handle soft tissue sarcoma.