Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Cancer of Muscle, Fat and Other Soft Tissues

Soft tissues connect, support or surround the body's other tissues: muscles, tendons, fat and blood vessels, for example. Soft tissue sarcoma is a cancer of these tissues. There are many kinds, named for the tissue where they begin.

Signs

A sarcoma may cause a lump or swelling in soft tissue. Sometimes it spreads and presses on nerves and organs, causing problems such as pain or trouble breathing.

Causes and risk

Nobody knows exactly what causes these cancers. They are uncommon, but the risk is higher for people who:

• have been exposed to certain chemicals;
• have had radiation therapy;
• have certain genetic diseases.

Diagnosis and treatment

Doctors diagnose soft tissue sarcoma with a biopsy. Treatment may be surgery to remove the tumour, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of them.

Sources

• MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Soft Tissue Sarcoma," from the NIH National Cancer Institute. https://medlineplus.gov/softtissuesarcoma.html
• Rewritten in hubnx's own words.